


Hearts in Galdin Quay

by dragonbornette



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Ardyn is cray-cray, Artist AU, Beach Sex, Blowjobs, Everybody's horny, Explicit Sexual Content, Gladnis, IgNoct, M/M, PromNoct, Promnis - Freeform, Public-ish Sex, Stalking, Threesome, Vacation AU, handjobs, no betas we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2019-12-18 03:18:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 28,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18241310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonbornette/pseuds/dragonbornette
Summary: Ignis just wants to take a vacation and relax, but an unexpected visitor shows up to his usual vacation spot and threatens to turn an innocent interest into a dangerous obsession.





	1. Chapter 1

It is an unusually warm summer morning that he wakes up to, the cool comforting air of the night before all but a memory as Ignis sits up to glance out the window. He frowns, rubbing the back of his neck and grimacing at how sweaty he already is so early in the day. Apparently, he’s going to need to squeeze in a shower this morning despite the one he took last night.

He gets up slowly and takes his time, still waking up as he walks over to turn on his ceiling fan. That cool spell had been nice while it lasted, but summer is definitely here now.

Ignis heads over to his dresser next, passing his suitcases full of packed clothes, and grabs a pair of briefs before heading to his bathroom. He’s just started the water when his phone rings, causing a groan before he rushes to answer it.

“Yes?”

“Is that how you answer the phone?” a gruff voice asks.

“I do when I know it is you, Gladio,” Ignis replies with a sniff. “What is it? I was just about to get in the shower.”

“Oh, well, don’t let _me_ stop you.”

Ignis sighs. “…Too late, darling.”

Gladio laughs. “Cindy’s openin’ her new shop tonight, wanna come?”

“Oh,” Ignis breathes, horrified he’s forgotten. “I’m afraid I can’t, Gladio. I’m leaving for my trip in a few hours.”

There’s silence on the other end of the phone. “…Shit, we forgot too.” He sighs. “Too bad.”

“Yes, please send Cindy my deepest apologies.”

“I will, though you know she’ll understand. Have fun on your vacation.”

Ignis worries his lip as he hangs up before he hears the running shower in the bathroom and curses, rushing to get in before he wastes too much water.

 

* * *

 

Although he _never_ scrambles to do anything, Ignis is scrambling to finish putting his things together when the car arrives to take him to the station. He’s rushing out the door and helping the driver put his bags in the car, and after twenty minutes of frustration, he’s finally heading to the station.

Ignis feels a headache brewing and he’s aggravated with himself for getting so frustrated over something as small as his luggage, but he truly doesn’t want to forget anything. He’s going on vacation to Galdin Quay, he wants everything to be perfect and for all his things to actually make it to his destination with him.

He deserves this vacation.

Ignis isn’t going just because he can or because he wants to – well, he _does_ want to – but he’s going in order to get _away._ He relocated to Cape Caem several years ago, but despite the peace and quiet it brought him, it came with the unfortunate small-town mentality, where everyone knew each other’s business, including his. This made it exceedingly difficult to hide one’s popularity, and for Ignis, that created a multitude of issues.

Not to say he didn’t appreciate the attention he got for his art, but when Ignis wanted to be alone and not have to deal with critiques or commissions, it almost seemed like too much to ask for.

So every summer, he stole away to the enjoyable beaches of Galdin Quay to relax and _not_ have to worry about work or annoying fans for three months. He could create art and sleep in late at a nice beach house in complete privacy.

The only downside is leaving behind his friends every year – Gladio mostly. He’s known the big guy for a very long time, since they were children. But he also knows Gladio’s always had a thing for him. Ignis tries to ignore it to try and salvage their friendship, though he honestly doesn’t know why he’s never given in to the man’s pursuits and charms. He wonders if he uses the friendship thing as an excuse because he's afraid.

Gladio’s a good soul, and Ignis appreciates that in him.

He’s only thirty-two, but Ignis finds that he never really dates often. The last relationship he’d had had ended in a disaster, in his ex’s favor. Ravus had cheated on him, after two years of a gloriously intense relationship… Ignis wanted those years back after finding out what Ravus had done.

He smiles at the memory of Gladio offering to beat Ravus up.

Ignis has no family, so Gladio is really all he has. Sometimes he wonders why he doesn’t bring his friend along, but not everyone has the luxury of being able to afford going away for three months like Ignis does.

There’s always next year, he supposes. Maybe he enjoys the solitude more than he realizes.

The artist is jolted from his reverie by a sudden stop of the car. He glances up to find a traffic jam up ahead, caused by chocobos or monsters, Ignis doesn’t know. He sees they’re close to the train station and sighs as he glances out the window. He's not in danger of missing his train, but he worries nevertheless. Eventually the traffic clears and they make it to their destination. He thanks the driver once they've loaded his baggage onto a cart, tips him, and heads off the station.

Once he’s made sure his baggage has made it on the train, Ignis heads to the private car he's reserved, settles in with his sketchpad and phone playing music, and gets lost in his imagination as the train heads off to Galdin Quay.

 

* * *

 

The beach is just as beautiful as Ignis remembers it.

He had started vacationing here shortly after his parents passed away, but he didn’t always stay for the entire summer. Once his art career had really taken off at age twenty-one, Ignis found it necessary to escape for three months.

Smiling to himself as he’s helped with his luggage, Ignis guides the driver inside the beach house and takes a look around after setting down his bag. It doesn't take long to bring in the rest of his bags, and Ignis lets out a contented sigh once he's left alone. He'll worry about unpacking later. For now, he just wants to bask in the fact that his vacation has officially started.

Glancing out the window, Ignis wipes his forehead and his smile droops into a frown. It’s so _hot_ and he refuses to shower again so soon. It’s unseasonably warm this year, he thinks, summer has barely started. But, he figures, at least the sun is out and he can work on his tan while spending time outside drawing. His beach house has a deck facing the ocean, it’s perfect.

Taking a brief tour of the house to make sure everything is in order, Ignis makes a note to go shopping soon and stock up on groceries. He _adores_ cooking, but wouldn’t mind taking a break for a few days just to really get this whole relaxing thing down. Granted, cooking helps him relax too, but he really doesn’t want to have to do a whole lot of cleaning while he’s on vacation. The fewer dishes he has to do, the better.

Ignis grabs one of his smaller bags to take into the bedroom, opening it and pulling out a new set of clothes to change into. Something more suitable for the beach, he decides. It’s unlike him to wear something so _casual_ , but no one knows him here. A sleeveless shirt and some Bermuda shorts, fashion crime or not, would be perfect to combat the heat. He changes, runs a hand through his hair, snatches his sunglasses, and is out the door.

Smiling as he makes his way down the street, Ignis heads to the local restaurant at the hub of Galdin Quay. It’s expensive, but the food is worth it. Ignis even came up with a few recipes from his trips here over the years.

As he enters, Ignis is immediately greeted by the man who runs the restaurant, Ardyn. The man is certainly unique, with his purplish hair and golden eyes, but he’s friendly enough and has treated Ignis well over the past few years.

“Mr. Scientia!” he greets, rushing over to shake the artist’s hand. “A _pleasure_ to see you back again. For the summer, I’m sure?”

Ignis nods, offering a smile and accepting the man’s hand. “For the summer,” he confirms. “Is my usual table available, by chance?”

“Of course!” Adryn exclaims, waving a hostess over. “Show our honored guest to his table.” He turns back to Ignis. “Enjoy.”

Ignis nods and follows the young woman over to his table, taking his menu as he sits down. He looks over it to see if anything’s changed, but he knows the selection fairly well by now. He gives his drink order to the waitress who comes over, and is back to perusing his menu when the sight of someone else entering the restaurant catches his eye.

Looking up, Ignis is surprised to see two Crownsguards entering, which is a sight in itself, but it’s the shorter man they’re escorting that catches Ignis’s eye. Is that...? No, it _can’t_ be. But who else would explain the presence of the Crownsguard?

He keeps watching as Ardyn goes over to greet the shorter man, who looks less than thrilled to talk to the purple-haired man, but Ardyn behaves as if he doesn’t notice. Ignis’s eyes, however, are _fixed_ on the young man as he walks over to a table and sits down.

He’s… Well, he’s _beautiful_. Dark hair, amazingly beautiful eyes, and a brooding expression on his young face.

Ignis feels incredibly inspired and enchanted all in one rush and he averts his gaze, blinking rapidly. This is so _unlike_ him. He doesn't _get_ infatuated.

When he glances back, the young man has forced his Crownsguard to sit at an opposite table, and seems quite content to sit by himself, mindlessly scrolling through his phone as the waitress comes to get his order. She seems nervous and Ignis feels his suspicions close in.

It _has_ to be.

The artist eventually orders his food and eats, glancing the young man’s way the entire time. He’s never noticed, but Ignis tries to remain discreet. Once he’s finished, he pays his ticket and leaves, but spots Ardyn by the door and heads over to him.

“Thank you, Ardyn, the food was wonderful as usual,” Ignis says, offering his hand.

“My _pleasure_.”

Ignis turns to leave, but hesitates, glancing back towards the young man. “Forgive me for asking, but, I can’t help being curious,” he says. “…Who is that young man who came in with the Crownsguard? Is that…”

Ardyn sighs, feigning a coy look. “I shouldn’t _say_ , but yes, it’s Crown Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum.”

The name rolls off his lips like it’s nothing, but Ignis can’t help glancing back in shock. “…He comes to Galdin Quay?”

“Oh, yes, every summer, but not usually this early.” Ardyn glances that way as well. “The Crownsguard are a new addition this year, must be some trouble floating around in Insomnia he’s trying to escape or some such.”

Ignis lifts an eyebrow at Ardyn’s dismissal of ‘trouble’, but smiles and thanks the man again before leaving. He’s stunned the prince would be here, of all places, by himself with the Crownsguard. He’s blown away by how beautiful the young man is in person.

He wonders just how quiet a summer he’s in for if he’s going to be sharing Galdin Quay with the Crown Prince of Lucis.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ignis can't figure out what is wrong with him and his weird obsession with the prince. and then shit goes down at the beach.

Ignis is lost in thought the entire walk back to his beach house. He’s still stunned by what he experienced back at the restaurant – from his reaction, to the fact that the Lucian prince, of all people, is here in Galdin Quay on vacation too.

But it’s when he gets back to the house that Ignis is hit with a sudden wave of dizziness. It has him sagging back against the closed door as he clenches his eyes shut and presses a hand to his forehead. He grits his teeth, but bears through it until it passes.

Once he feels better, Ignis moves to the couch nearby and sits down with a frown. He’d hoped he was over whatever this was, especially now that he is on vacation. For the past couple of weeks, the artist has been hit with dizzy spells, with no idea of the cause. He’d assumed stress, naturally, with everything going on with his career while making sure things were covered while he was away for three months.

Ignis hadn’t wanted to waste his time at the doctor. He knows they’ll tell him it’s stress, give him pills, or suggest taking a vacation. But Ignis isn’t a fan of medicine, pills in particular, and he _is_ taking a vacation. Problem solved, right?

He can only hope.

Once he’s certain the dizziness is gone, Ignis carefully gets up and heads to the bathroom. He glances at himself in the mirror and frowns again, mainly because his normally styled up hair has fallen in the heat and looks a mess. He has no idea how he’s going to maintain this look while he’s on vacation if it doesn’t cool off just a _little_. He does have an image to maintain.

Deciding another shower isn’t the worst idea, Ignis runs the water cold and gets in, but his thoughts eventually drift back to the prince while he’s in there. He can’t believe he’s thinking about the younger man _again_ , not to mention the direction his mind is going in.

Ignis quickly checks to see if he can make the shower _colder_.

Eventually, he finishes up and gets ready for bed, finally able to put Noctis from his mind as he crawls onto the comfortable bed and goes to sleep.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, the dizzy spell is all but forgotten when Ignis wakes up rather embarrassed by the situation going on in his pajama pants. He’d have shrugged it off if not for the explicitly sexual dream replaying in his head.

Of him and Noctis.

On the beach.

 _Fucking_.

He’s even more embarrassed when his cock twitches and he hides under the covers in shame.

No. Shower. _Now_.

The cold water puts those thoughts to bed as he buries his face in his hands. Is he _that_ repressed, or _that_ much in need that his subconscious won’t relent on the prince? What is _wrong_ with him?

Still frustrated, Ignis forces himself to think about his plans for the day as he gets out of the shower and digs around in one of his bags for a nice outfit. He’ll eat at Ardyn’s for breakfast, then shop for groceries, and then spend the afternoon unpacking. It probably won’t take him _that_ long to unpack, but he’s in no rush either.

There’s plenty of time to enjoy the beach and relax in the days ahead. What’s one day to get most of the non-relaxing stuff out of the way?

Dressing in a pair of gray slacks and a dark, long-sleeved shirt, Ignis rolls up the sleeves and puts on his shoes. He checks himself in the mirror, smiles a bit, then grabs his keys and is out the door. He’s met with a wave of sweltering heat that makes him question his outfit, but he dismisses it. He’ll be inside a nice cool restaurant here in a bit, he’ll take a car to go shopping, and he’ll be inside the rest of the day unless he goes to the beach. He’ll be fine.

Ignis makes it to the restaurant, and is once again greeted by Ardyn and a hostess. He doesn’t stick around to talk to the purple-haired man and follows the hostess to his table, where he glances over the menu once again after ordering water and an orange juice to drink.

It’s empty this early in the restaurant, but not for long. Ignis really isn’t expecting people this early, not that he cares, but he _certainly_ doesn’t expect the prince, of all people, to be the one strutting into the restaurant with his two Crownsguards.

He really seems like the type of person to sleep in until noon when given the choice.

But Ignis just smiles and leans back in his chair, watching as once again Ardyn greets the less than impressed prince before Noctis is led away to his table, followed by those weird yellow eyes. Ignis doesn’t remember Ardyn being this creepy, but maybe he’s just imagining things.

When the waitress shows up, Ignis gives his order and smiles when he realizes the lack of people in the restaurant gives him a rather pleasant view of the prince, who still hasn’t even noticed him. And Ignis is okay with this, he…he doesn’t _want_ to be noticed, he just wants to observe the beautiful young man in peace.

He still doesn’t know _why_. He’s not even sure why he’s given in so easily to these thoughts about the prince like it’s not an issue.

Frowning, Ignis sips his water with a soft huff and looks away. Fortunately, his breakfast doesn’t take long to make. Once it arrives, Ignis tries to focus on it, but finds himself glancing up nevertheless. He can’t help wondering why the prince is here _alone_.

 

* * *

 

With a smile, Ignis closes his now full refrigerator and turns to put the bags away under the sink to use for later. Shopping for food had taken less time than he’d expected and he knows it won’t take him long to unpack, so he plans to head to the beach once he’s finished.

He’s only halfway through the first bag when he hears his phone ring and lifts an eyebrow. Who could possibly be calling him? But when he sees it’s Gladio, he rolls his eyes and answers.

“Have we forgotten that a certain someone is on his vacation?”

“Why do you always answer your phone like that?”

“Because I know it’s you, Gladio,” Ignis teases softly. “Is something the matter?”

“Well, unless you want your plants to die, you better tell me where you moved your spare key.”

“Oh,” Ignis laughs. “It’s above the door now. Most people aren’t as tall as you, darling. I thought it best to put it up there.”

Gladio hums in response and Ignis wonders if he’s being too nice, leading the big guy on. “Alright, got it. Thanks.” He pauses. “…Uh, hope you’re havin’ a good time.”

“I’ve only been here a day,” Ignis reminds, but he smiles. “Thank you.” He hangs up and stares at his phone for a long time, eventually shaking his head and tossing it on the bed as he goes back to unpacking.

 

Sure enough, it only takes him about another hour to finish putting everything in the closet and dresser. Ignis stands up and glances out towards the beach behind the house and smiles. Only the ones renting the beach houses could access this part of the beach, so no crazy families or loudness to unsettle him.

Perfect.

Ignis changes into his swimwear, dressing in a comfortable shirt for now after putting on some suntan lotion. He grabs his sketchpad, phone, and keys to the house, and is out the back door. The breeze coming off the sea is perfect and gives him the relief he’s been aching for almost instantly. He takes a moment to stand and enjoy it before going to one of the beach chairs resting on the sand.

Sitting down, Ignis gets comfortable and rests his sketchpad in his lap as he takes a moment to enjoy the view and the breeze. If every day is like this, Ignis knows he’ll be feeling better by the end of the summer. A part of him is missing home, missing Gladio, and he frowns.

Maybe he’ll figure out these issues too.

Ignis sketches the ocean and wonders if he’ll do a piece on it while he’s here. He prefers sketching people and things to make into official pieces, not landscape, and right now, Ignis’s mind is thinking Prince Noctis would make a better model than the ocean. He’s already thinking about going to the restaurant to maybe see the young man again before remembering he just bought a bunch of groceries that _will not_ go to waste.

Is he just star-struck by the prince or is there something going on with Ignis that should have him worried?

But before he can dwell too much on the subject, Ignis is surprised to find he won’t have to venture to the restaurant to see the prince again. He is briefly swallowed up in the shadow of the two tall Crownsguards as they pass the chair he’s sitting in to go to one with an umbrella a short distance away. Noctis is trailing behind them, whining quite audibly.

“I know my dad assigned you to watch me, but do you _really_ have to follow me to the beach?” he’s asking. “It’s _private_.”

Neither Crownsguard answers, but they do share a _look_ that Ignis sees but Noctis doesn’t.

“I mean, honestly, you guys are completely obvious. If someone recognizes me, it’s going to be ‘cause of you two.”

Again, no reply.

Ignis can’t help a small smile at the comedy of the situation, even when one of the Crownsguard eyes him for a moment to determine whether or not he’s a threat.

“I mean, you could at least change into bathing suits or _something_ ,” says the prince who isn’t dressed for the beach either. He’s dressed in dark pants and a dark shirt, and Ignis can’t imagine how he isn’t _burning up_ in such an outfit.

He watches as Noctis sets down a bag and climbs in the chair, still rambling about the Crownsguard guys as he gets comfortable and pulls out his phone. How _any_ of them are comfortable in those clothes in this heat is beyond Ignis.

Glancing down at his sketchpad, Ignis almost thinks to start a conversation, to maybe at least spare the Crownsguards from Noctis’s whining or give the prince a companion since he seems to be here alone, but he finds he can’t even think of the right thing to say. He curses under his breath and looks away before realizing Noctis is _still_ whining, and he can’t help but laugh under his breath.

Despite the complaining, Ignis finds something absolutely charming about how someone so ridiculously beautiful could whine so much about something relatively insignificant. He begins to wonder himself what the need is for the Crownsguards before he notices… _them_.

There are three girls staring rather obviously at the prince and none of them are dressed for the beach. They’re hiding themselves rather ineffectively by a changing tent, but since even Ignis has notices them, he knows the Crownsguard has too. Sure enough, when the artist looks up, both men are staring in the girls’ direction while Noctis… _continues_ to ramble on about something.

Ignis gives the prince credit for at least changing the topic, but he’s focused on the girls. What do they want with the prince? Why did it warrant the attention of the Crownsguard?

“Since when have you two become mute?” Noctis is asking as one of the girls makes her move. She bolts from behind the tent and makes a beeline for the prince.

Ignis is sitting up in concern as Noctis remains oblivious, his attention on the Crownsguard to his right. Ignis wonders why neither man is doing anything about the girl closing in, but just as she gets close enough, Noctis notices her and quiets instantly. He’s moving to get up, but the Crownsguard on his right has a firm grip on his shoulder.

The one on the same side as the girl closing in moves to intercept. He’s a tall guy with close-cropped hair, but he’s thick with muscle. Ignis worries the girl is too fast for him, too small, but is immediately proved wrong when the man jerks out his arm and catches her across the collarbone, essentially clotheslining her. She goes down in an explosion of sand just as the other two girls waiting make their move.

Ignis is stunned to see they have a _strategy_ in order to get to the prince, and realizes the second Crownsguard holding Noctis in place had expected this, which is why he'd stayed behind. He continues watching as the first Crownsguard pinning the girl to the sand whips out his phone and is calling someone, while the second man, sporting gray hair shaved on the sides but long on the top and styled back, moves to intercept the two girls now closing in.

Noctis scrambles off the chair now that he’s free and backs up to Ignis’s chair without realizing it. Ignis is thinking the two men might need his help as he watches the second Crownsguard snatch one girl by the arm with an iron grip while the other one evades his grasp and makes a break for Noctis. But the first man has appeared from nowhere and tackles her to the ground.

Ignis looks back to see what happened to the first girl he’d brought down, only to see the second Crownsguard is now pinning her to the sand while still keeping a firm grip on the arm of the girl he’d managed to get a hold of.

Who _were_ these girls? Stalkers? Terrorists? Why did Noctis need _Crownsguard_ s for protection? Then again, after what Ignis had just witnessed, he’s glad they’d been there.

And then he realizes Noctis is standing two feet away from him, looking rather shaken at the events that have just taken place. Ignis is immediately reminded of his dream and the warmth exploding on his cheeks and neck _has_ to be visible.

Local law enforcement shows up to cart the girls off as the two Crownsguards explain the situation to them before motioning for Noctis to come over. Ignis can’t help staring before he realizes someone is talking to him and looks up to see an officer.

“My apologies, what did you say?”

“I asked if you saw what happened with His Highness and the attack,” the officer repeats, motioning to the prince.

Ignis nods and proceeds to advise the officer on what he’d seen, glancing in the direction of the prince and his Crownsguards, only to find those blue eyes are on him, watching him.

The prince is smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think the first couple of chapters will be close to what was originally posted.. i'm worried i'll decide not to change anything and y'all can hate me then :/


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ignis starts to get frustrated with himself.  
> maybe he'll go home.  
> but noctis brings friends.  
> and something happens.
> 
> **things will start deviating from the original in this chapter... i hope**

Ignis collapses against his door in a wave of dizziness and embarrassment. He can’t believe Noctis had looked _right_ at him. No longer will he be able to remain unnoticed in his observations and it horrifies him, and he doesn’t understand.

What is _wrong_ with him that is causing him to feel so crazy? Is it just the blasted heat? Ignis struggles to focus as the dizziness intensifies and he’s sliding to the floor, vision swimming and threatening to go completely.

It’s taking longer for this wave to pass and Ignis knows he should probably be worried. He takes off his glasses and presses a hand against his eyes; his brain is trying to process ten things at once and there’s a tightness in his chest and—

—The sound of his phone ringing snaps Ignis back into focus. He grabs it and answers, not realizing how out of breath he is until he speaks.

“Yes?” he pants.

“…Iggy? You okay?”

Ignis blinks rapidly before nodding to no one. “Of course I am, Gladio,” he assures with a thick swallow. “What has you calling me twice in one day?”

“Uh, yeah, sorry to bug ya again, but a package came while I was here and it’s for your studio,” Gladio tries to explain. “Looks important, so I wasn’t sure if it needed to go there or stay here.”

Ignis is slow to respond as his brain struggles to process the question.

“…Iggy?” Gladio prompts hesitantly. “You sure you’re okay?”

“…I…I don’t know, Gladio,” Ignis admits to his horror and he can practically _feel_ Gladio tense on the other end of the line.

“What do you need me to do?” the question comes so readily from the big guy that it catches the already off-guard Ignis by surprise.

“…About the package?” he asks dumbly.

“About the…” Gladio sputters. “No, Specs. About _you_! _Six…_ ”

Ignis can’t help laughing at his own stupidity and he wishes he could see Gladio all of a sudden. The thought sobers him and he clears his throat. “I assure you, I’m fine,” he says. “I’m terribly sorry for worrying you. Please set the package aside for now. I don’t think I’m expecting any more of them anytime soon.”

Gladio is clearly not satisfied with Ignis’s answer, but there’s little he can do. "Iggs," he braves, a nickname he rarely uses these days, but it feels right. "I..."

A frown spreads across the artist's lips. "Yes, Gladio?"

"...Nothing," Gladio ends up sighing. "...Please take care of yourself, okay? If you need me, call."

Ignis feels the guilt settling in once he hangs up, but he knows he can’t tell Gladio about his dizziness _or_ this weird thing going on with the prince. Part of it is pride, another part is sheer embarrassment, but the rest is because Ignis, despite everything this is doing to him, isn’t sure he wants this obsession to end.

It’s stressing him out, but it’s…exciting.

Ignis isn’t sure he’ll ever understand what’s going on with him, and he buries his face in his hands, trying to calm down. He decides, once the dizziness has passed and he starts to feel better, that perhaps he should take a little break from the prince.

What a terrible idea that turns out to be.

 

* * *

 

The shaken artist stays home for dinner that evening, preparing a nice cool salad to keep things simple. He works on a sketch for an upcoming piece he’s had planned for a while - ever since this all started - and after a shower, heads to bed.

When he wakes up, however, he’s exhausted. It feels like he hasn’t slept at all and Ignis tries not to worry. He doesn’t even feel like he can make breakfast, much less go shopping today like he’d planned to, in order to buy souvenirs for Gladio and the others like he always did.

Forcing himself out of bed, Ignis starts some coffee and heads into the bathroom to shower off the sweat he’s already built up this early in the morning. Hopefully the shower and the coffee will wake him up and push him in the direction of feeling better.

But by the time he’s out of the shower, dressed, and sipping his coffee, he’s awake, but still exhausted.

Frowning, Ignis glances at the clock and calls a car to take him to the restaurant. He knows he’s making excuses now, but he wonders if he should stop fighting it. After all, the prince _did_ smile at him. Maybe he’s interested?

Ignis pauses where he stands, sighing in resignation. He’s been tunneling down this rabbit hole for what, two days? He’s so desperate to forget everything, so desperate for escape that he’s literally forgetting who he is.

This person he’s changed into since returning to Galdin Quay. It’s not him.

Ignis lowers himself back down onto the stool and rubs his forehead. This is the first year his vacation is actually hurting him, but it’s the first year that he’s truly running away from his problems at home. And he’s only managed to transfer them to something else here.

Reaching for his pocket, Ignis pulls out his phone and almost calls Gladio but he stops.

No.

Not yet.

One more day. He’ll give himself _one_ more day to stop this nonsense, or he’s going to have to figure out another way to spend his summer.

 

* * *

 

As Ignis walks into the restaurant, he’s surprised to find Ardyn isn’t there to greet him. Not that he misses the man, but it’s always felt _off_ when the man isn’t standing there welcoming people into his establishment. The artist follows the hostess to his table and sit down, glancing over the menu idly as the doors open and in walks…

Noctis, really? Ignis is beginning to feel like _he_ ’s being stalked as he observes the prince entering with his two Crownsguards, but this time, he’s not alone. Accompanying Noctis are two blonds – a young man, and a young woman. The woman seems familiar, but Ignis ignores here in favor of the man, who’s almost as cute as Noctis with his fluffy spiked hair and freckle-dusted face.

Ignis is glad Noctis has company now. Maybe that would mean he could go unnoticed— _damn it_. He hasn’t even made it an _hour_ and he’s already failing to stop himself from following this stupid growing obsession.

He’s still debating this with himself as Noctis and his friends sit at the table. The young man seems quite animated, taking pictures with a camera Ignis is only just now noticing while the woman sits very neatly in her chair and laughs politely at something Noctis has said.

Ignis feels a stab of jealousy and his jaw clenches in frustration at himself. This is not going well, on a number of levels.

He’s more than grateful when his food arrives and he hurriedly eats so he can leave.

 

* * *

 

Later that afternoon, Ignis finds himself in the same sun chair behind his beach house. figuring he’d enjoy the beach while he can. The way this day has gone has left him feeling pessimistic about working through this weird infatuation with the prince and honestly, Ignis is already tired of fighting himself about it.

He’s ready to go home and maybe…maybe he’ll see a doctor or something. Maybe he’ll talk to Gladio. 

Maybe he'll finally confront his problems.

He’s lost in thought, the sketch he’d been working on a distant memory, when a group of people pass in front of him and he looks up in surprise to see it’s once again, Prince Noctis and his little posse. The prince is laughing about something the young blond man has said, and gently shoves him away.

“I swear, Prom, I will _hurt_ you if you try to make me go in the water,” he’s saying and Ignis realizes Noctis is dressed very similarly to what he was wearing yesterday.

Why come to the beach then?

Both the boy he’s referred to as ‘Prom’ and the young woman are both dressed like they plan to get in some sunbathing or swimming, which again has Ignis wondering why Noctis is dressed the way he is.

“We’ll see about that, buddy,” ‘Prom’ taunts, pointing at the prince as the young woman laughs softly and sets her things down next to Noctis’s chair. “Luna, come on, you have to help me.”

 _That’s_ Luna? Ignis suddenly realizes that of _course_ he knows who that is. How on earth could he have missed the Oracle when she was right in front of him?

She’s beautiful, but yet, has nothing on Noctis. Well, in Ignis’s humble opinion.

“I will do no such thing, Prompto,” Luna replies with a smile as she lays out a big towel to sit down on. Noctis grins beside her.

“See, some people still have loyalty,” he says to Prompto, sticking out his tongue before pulling out his phone.

Ignis pretends to sketch but is too busy listening to their conversation to really pay attention. Noctis is going off about how he won’t go in the water because of sharks or something, which has Prompto rolling his eyes and calling him a liar while Luna giggles.

“Thanks for inviting me out here, dude,” Prompto says after a brief silence, snapping a picture of the ocean, then one of the Crownsguards as he flashes them a grin. “When are you coming back home?”

“Once things settle down,” Noctis groans in reply, flopping back in the sun chair. “Then again, after yesterday, I don’t see why I shouldn’t go back already.”

“Yesterday?” Luna asks as she puts on sunscreen.

“Yeah!” Noctis exclaims. “These girls were hiding over by the tent yesterday. I didn’t even see them!” He sits up and nods back at the Crownsguards while pointing at the tent. “You should’ve _seen_ these guys, though, Prom. Pierre clotheslined one of the girls. It was awesome.”

“…Pierre?” Luna questions with a frown as Prompto bursts out laughing.

“They won’t talk to me, so I named them,” Noctis says as one of the Crownsguards lets out a frustrated sigh.

“You _know_ our names, Highness,” the one with the long hair says.

Ignis doesn’t know why he’s surprised that one of them has spoken.

“Well, then, maybe you should address your prince when he speaks to you, Nyx,” Noctis is saying haughtily, but it’s clear he isn’t being serious.

Prompto is still laughing over ‘Pierre’ and is pointing at Nyx. “I am _so_ calling you that from now on!” he exclaims, taking a picture when Nyx glares at him.

“We saw them well before you did, Noctis,” the other man speaks. “ _That_ is why we were silent.”

“I am certain Noctis appreciates your efforts, Cor,” Luna is quick to assure with a pleasant smile, and Cor can’t help but return it with a nod of acknowledgment.

Ignis can’t help but be intrigued by all this information he’s being inundated with. He wets his lips and reaches for his water but a wave of dizziness overcomes him and he nearly falls out of his chair. Fortunately, the fumble goes unnoticed by the prince and his friends, but he misses the look he gets from one of the Crownsguards.

“Yeah, they don’t know how those girls found me here or who’s even giving them this information,” Noctis is explaining to Luna as Prompto moves to sit on the towel beside her. “One more incident though, and I’m heading home. It’s nice here, but…I don’t know. I think I’d feel safer at home.”

Ignis frowns. That’s an incredibly big breach of security, but why bring Noctis _here_? Whose idea was that?

He doesn’t find out. The conversation strays and Luna eventually leaves the two boys to go and take a swim in the water. Once she’s out of earshot, Noctis turns to Prompto and sighs. “I didn’t want to say it in front of Luna,” he says and Ignis has to fight not to lift an eyebrow. “…Honestly, it makes me uncomfortable to be in a bathing suit with all these stupid stalker incidents.” He frowns and looks away. “Is that dumb?”

“Not at all, dude,” Prompto quickly replies, patting the prince’s shoulder.  “I’m gonna go take a dip and cool off, but I won’t leave you hanging for long.”

Noctis offers a smile and nods, taking the camera from his friend and looking through it as the blond strips from his shirt and runs off to join Luna.

Ignis watches before glancing back at Noctis and something about the way he’s posed looking through the camera tugs at the artist in him. Ignis is quick to turn the page of his sketchpad to quickly start sketching the prince. The way the sun is hitting his face, the way he’s smiling fondly at the pictures on the camera, it’s less about the obsession now and more about just how pretty the young Lucian prince really is.

Or at least, that’s what Ignis is trying to tell himself.

 

* * *

 

Ignis decides to return home once he gets hungry. He’s feeling better now, albeit still weak, but he figures he’s well enough to cook dinner and not spend more money at Ardyn’s. He sets his things on the counter and wonders what he feels like cooking. He’s trying to remember simple recipes and figures a nice sandwich really wouldn’t take that much time or effort.

He grimaces when he realizes that if he leaves to go home, a lot of this food will go to waste. Maybe…maybe he should stay until he finishes it all.

He’s pleased with the restaurant-quality sandwich he ends up making and is sitting down to eat it when there’s a knock at his backdoor.

A frown immediately blossoms on his face as he glances towards the back of the house but sets down the sandwich and gets up to go answer it.

He opens the door and is stunned to see Prince Noctis standing on the other side, _holding his sketchpad_. The prince is staring at the drawing with a small smile on his face as he looks up at Ignis.

“…You, um, you left this,” Noctis says, gesturing with the sketchpad but not handing it back. “…Is this me?” He nods and answers his own question. “It is, isn’t it?”

Ignis will never live this moment down. His heart is pounding, his vision swims, and he promptly faints in front of the Lucian prince.

 

* * *

 

 

 

The smell that greets him is a comforting one as he steps into Cindy's coffee shop. He glances around and spots the young woman behind the counter, walking over and slumping onto a stool. 

Cindy lifts an eyebrow and starts making Gladio's usual. "What's eatin' ya, Sug?" she asks with a tilt of her head. 

Gladio's got his elbows on the counter as he slumps over and covers the back of his neck with his hands. "Ugh," he groans before sitting up and looking at his friend. "I'm worried about Ignis."

Cindy lifts an eyebrow as she grabs a cup and pours the finished drink into it. "Did somethin' happen?" she asks as she hands the cup to Gladio, who thanks her as she starts cleaning. 

"Yeah, he sounded terrible when I had to call him a little while ago," the big man explains as he takes a sip and tries to calm down, "but he won't talk to me." He stares into his cup as he sets it down. "He's still sick, still tryin' to hide it... I'm worried about him."

Cindy leans on the counter in front of Gladio, arms crossed under her breasts to prop them up in a not-so-subtle attempt to cheer Gladio up with a free look. He eyes her, but can't help a slight smile as he glances away with a soft blush on his cheeks.

"Thanks, Cindy, but I'm serious." 

"If the girls can't cheer you up, then it really  _is_ serious," Cindy confirms, adjusting her shirt as Gladio lets out a soft laugh and looks back at her. "I don't know what to tell you, hun," she says when she meets his gaze. "He's always been complicated, and you've known him way longer than me."

"Yeah, but it's different this time," Gladio reminds after taking another sip. "He hasn't been the same since fuckin' Ravus cheated on him, he hasn't been makin' art, he's been having those weird dizzy spells, but won't go to the doctor..."

Cindy tilts her head as she listens. "I think you need to tell him."

Amber eyes snap back to look at Cindy, narrowing. "He  _knows_."

"But you've never  _told_ him."

Gladio sighs and looks away. "I shouldn't have to."

"Look, Gladio," Cindy says as she comes around the counter and plants herself next to the big guy. "Y'all have known each other a long time, you know him better than me, but what you're doin' ain't workin'." She touches his shoulder. "And the same goes for Ignis. He may be tryin' to cope, but he's strugglin' too. Somethin's gotta give."

Gladio studies Cindy for a long moment and then looks back at his coffee. "But what if tellin' him makes it worse?"

"It can't be any worse than what's goin' on now," Cindy replies. "In my opinion anyway."

Gladio thinks about what she's said, gaze drifting from his coffee to the window before he looks back at Cindy. "I don't want to wait until he comes back to tell him," he says, "and I don't want to do it on the phone. But I'm worried he'll be mad if I show up in Galdin Quay unannounced."

"I don't know, I think it's kinda romantic." Cindy smiles and sighs at the thought.

 

His mind made up, Gladio gets to his feet. "Well, I'm gonna need you to water his plants while I'm gone." He looks down at the young woman beside him. "I'm going to Galdin Quay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for putting up with me <3  
> this was just one of those fics that i had in mind to end/progress a certain way but the muse said otherwise. once i hit that point, i struggled to keep it in check and lost faith in it.  
> writing fics has seriously boosted my self-confidence with writing, but i relapse EASY back into those shitty ways of thinking when i doubt myself.  
> so for those sticking with me through this relapse, i appreciate it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the first encounter...  
> but a new player enters the arena. :o

“Dude, it’s _totally_ him! What did you _do_ to him?” A nervous laugh. “Did you kill one of my heroes?”

“I didn’t do _anything_. He just fainted!”

Ignis’s brow furrows at the bickering voices as he comes to.

“He’ll be _fine_ ,” another voice speaks up, deeper. “You see? He’s coming around.”

A cool damp cloth is pressed to Ignis’s forehead and he groans as he opens his eyes and looks around. He’s in his bedroom, it’s dark outside, but he can still make out the fuzzy outlines of two people standing in his room. He frowns, almost panicking because he can’t see before realizing he isn’t wearing his glasses.

But the figure sitting next to him on the bed, seems to realize this and hands them to Ignis. The artist takes the offered glasses and puts them on, recognizing Nyx as soon as he blinks back into focus.

“Hey there,” the Crownsguard greets softly. “You back with us?”

Ignis glances back around the room, noting the way his feet are propped up a good bit and understanding that Nyx is the one who’s been taking care of him. But the artist’s eyes are stuck on the figure of the Lucian prince standing at the foot of his bed, chewing anxiously on a thumbnail with Prompto right beside him, gawking.

Ignis’s emerald eyes meet those royal sapphires and the worry he sees there is genuine.

“Sir?” Nyx probes and Ignis is looking back at him. “…How do you feel?”

“Like I’ve fainted,” Ignis answers more dryly than he means to and Prompto laughs.

So does Noctis.

The tension eases, but Ignis is horrendously embarrassed with himself as Nyx lifts an eyebrow and hands him a glass of water.

“Dear me,” Ignis mumbles, accepting the glass as he blushes. “Where are my manners?”

Nyx huffs out a laugh and helps Ignis sit up. “Don’t worry, you’ll fit _right_ in with these two,” he says, nodding back at Noctis and Prompto.

“Thank you,” Ignis says once he sits back against the headboard, sipping the water before he glances back at Noctis.

“Are you alright?” the prince asks when their gazes meet again.

Ignis forgets how to breathe and stares before catching himself. “Yes, darling,” he assures without thinking before his eyes widen and he’s staring into the glass of water wishing he could drown himself in it. But not before he catches the blush that sprouted on Noctis’s cheeks in turn.

Nyx’s eyebrow is still raised as he glances between his prince and the man in the bed, but opts not to comment.

“Uh, are you Ignis Scientia?” Prompto asks, breaking the awkward silence as if he’s oblivious.

Even if he’s not, Ignis is grateful and nods in response as he looks at the cute blond.

“Holy Six!” Prompto exclaims, rushing over to the side of the bed. “I’m a _huge_ fan. I’m Prompto!” He offers his hand with a big smile, surprising Ignis.

“ _Prom_ ,” Noctis hisses, trying to give his friend the ‘quit-it’ signal, but Ignis can’t help laughing.

“No, it’s quite alright,” he says, accepting Prompto’s hand and shaking it gently. “It’s always a pleasure to meet a fan. Even if I have just woken up from fainting.”

Prompto laughs, a blush tinging his cheeks as he fidgets with his camera. “Um, when you’re feeling better, can I trouble you for a pic?”

Ignis smiles again, nodding. “Of course, darling,” he responds, almost missing the way Noctis frowns. “It seems you now know where I stay. So, just come over sometime.”

Nyx rises to his feet, glancing at Prompto and then to Noctis. “Well, we should be going,” he announces, looking back down at Ignis. “Are you sure you’ll be alright? Is there anyone we can call?”

Shaking his head, Ignis meets his gaze. “I’ll be fine,” he assures. “Thank you, for all your help. I’m sorry to put you through all this trouble.”

“It’s not a problem,” Nyx responds, bowing politely before he heads to the door with Prompto in tow.

Noctis, however, doesn’t move. “I’ll catch up,” he says, eyes never leaving Ignis’s.

Nyx frowns but nods as Prompto glances back and shrugs before following the Crownsguard out the door.

Ignis doesn’t know how to react. His heart is pounding again. What if he faints? Is he sweating? He’s sweating in front of the prince after just fainting.

“…Um,” Noctis fumbles for his words. “…Did I make you faint?”

The question surprises Ignis as he reaches for the cloth to take it off his head, glancing at it before smiling at Noctis. “No, Highness,” he says. “I’m afraid I haven’t been feeling well and wasn’t being careful about it.”

Noctis seems relieved to not be at fault, but worried that something is wrong with Ignis. He bites his lip before turning to grab something off Ignis’s dresser. The artist realizes it’s his sketchpad as the prince approaches him on the bed and sits beside him.

“You were drawing me,” he states, looking at the sketch and then back up at Ignis. “Why?”

Ignis’s mind goes blank as he looks down at the sketch as well, then up at those blue eyes studying him. He doesn’t know what the right answer is to this question. He’s worried he’s in trouble, and that if he says the wrong thing, Noctis will sic his Crownsguards on him or something.

“The truth, Highness?”

“Noctis.”

Ignis nearly blanches, wetting his lips nervously – an act that has Noctis’s eyes flickering to his mouth. “Noctis,” he corrects breathily. “I’m, well, you know who I am now, thanks to your charming friend, Prompto. Is it a stretch to gather why I was drawing someone as beautiful as you?”

He wants to die a little inside for how corny that sounded after coming out of his mouth, but he doesn’t get a chance to fix it. Before he even realizes it, lips are pressed against his own and his eyes fly open in shock.

Noctis is _kissing_ him. The prince of Lucis is _kissing_ him.

And before Ignis’s brain can catch up, Noctis pulls away, lingering as he studies Ignis’s face, gauging the artist’s direction.

Ignis doesn’t care how terrible he feels post-faint. He sets the glass of water on the nightstand and takes Noctis’s face in his hands, bringing the prince in for another kiss that elicits a soft needy moan from the younger man. The kiss deepens, but it's soft, exploring, curious. 

Finally, Noctis pulls back, gasping softly as the room spins around Ignis in the best way possible. He looks up at the prince, dazed as he meets that inquisitive stare.

“I have a confession to make,” Noctis breathes as he carefully crawls atop Ignis to be closer to the artist. “I know…I _knew_ you were watching me. Nyx warned me.” He sits down and meets Ignis's gaze, waiting for the other man to tell him to move. “But they had you checked out. Cleared you once they knew it was okay.”

Ignis can't bring himself to move or speak or  _anything_. He's furious with himself for being so unsubtle at this stalking thing - though a part of him realizes he was up against two Crownsguards, what chance did he have, really. But the rest of him is just so enamored with the Lucian prince so  _close_ to him. Is this even really happening?"

“When I saw you yesterday,” Noctis is still talking. “…I liked the thought of you watching me. It was a fucking _turn on_. I mean, all this stalker shit aside, you’re hot.” He reaches to brush some of Ignis's hair from his face, gently. “It’s kind of a shame you left your sketchpad because I screwed up the fantasy, but…” He sobers a bit, realizing he isn’t sure what he’s saying. “I mean, I’m sorry, I’m glad you’re okay.”

Ignis blinks several times so that his brain can catch up…again. “…You knew I was watching?” he confirms, hesitantly, and receives a nod.

“I want you to _keep_ watching me,” Noctis breathes darkly, voice laced with a need that surprises Ignis with the sudden change. But he understands. He knows the prince is desperate for a hand in this situation, to control the reality that’s scaring him, and he can’t help himself.

He _wants_ this.

His brain keeps repeating Noctis’s words and he swallows thickly with a nod. “Your wish is my command, darling,” he whispers back, offering a nervous smile. He wants this, but it frightens him. For many reasons, one of which is how this might put him in danger, but he can't help it.

Noctis strokes his face, helps him drink some water and studies him as they sit in silence for a bit. “This isn’t…weird, is it?” he asks after a moment.

“…Out of the ordinary,” Ignis corrects kindly, smiling at the prince in his lap. “After all, you are the prince, sitting in my lap after asking me to stalk you…”

Noctis smiles and kisses him again, slow and deep, pressing close before pulling back with a sigh. “I better go,” he laments, glancing over his shoulder. “Um, you’re…you’ll be okay, right?”

The constant shift from subdued to dominating to worried was surprising to Ignis, but he smiles at the prince and nods. “I’ll be fine,” he assures. “We’ll talk later and I’ll explain then, mm?”

“…Yeah,” Noctis agrees as he gets to his feet and glances at the drawing. “Can I keep this?”

Ignis responds by reaching for the sketchpad and carefully tearing the page free. He almost offers to sign it out of habit, but

hands it to the prince.

His eyes stay on Noctis until the young man is out of sight and he presses a hand to his forehead.

Did he faint and wake up in another reality?

 

Ignis is relieved to find his sandwich is still edible when he gets up from the bed to go into the kitchen. He needs to eat and get something in his system before he sleeps, but he’s still thinking about the turn of events he’s just dealt with. He isn’t complaining about Noctis's interest in him, but he can't help being a little concerned about everything that transpired in his bedroom with the prince.

Noctis is currently being stalked but is turned on by the thought of Ignis watching and/or stalking him. That’s _totally_ normal.

Ignis scoffs at himself yet can’t help but feel incredibly lucky Noctis is attracted to him. He knows this won’t last past the summer, there’s just no way, but he can’t help how much he wants this. How intrigued he is and how aroused he’s become.

 So, why is he scared?

 

* * *

 

Ignis stays in the next day. Although he's desperate to catch another glimpse of Noctis,  _especially_ after last night, he knows better than to push himself after legitimately fainting. He decides to take it easy and spend the day inside. Maybe he'll venture back to the beach later in the afternoon, but for now, he makes himself a light breakfast, enjoys his coffee, takes a relaxing shower, and then ventures into his spare bedroom.

Since he next to never has guests while on vacation here, Ignis had converted the guest bedroom into a painting studio. It needs a bit of sprucing up after spending so long unused, but Ignis doesn't mind. He decides today feels like a painting day and after how yesterday panned out, he's feeling...inspired. He heads back to his bedroom to change into something he doesn't mind getting paint on and digs out an old t-shirt. It takes him a moment to recognize the big shirt as one of Gladio's and he doesn't know how he managed to miss this while both packing  _and_ unpacking.

Sitting back on his heels, Ignis frowns as the shirt drops into his lap. He knows if Gladio were here, the big guy would have a lot to say about what Ignis is thinking and doing, and Ignis tenses. _Well, it's none of Gladio's business anyway,_ he starts to think before he shakes his head. 

He's almost having an argument with himself about something that hasn't even happened.

It's not Gladio's fault the big guy gets worried and stays worried, Ignis knows he has a lot to do with keeping Gladio interested just enough to string him along. And then...he thinks back to how he felt last night, after Noctis left. Intrigued but terrified.

He realizes how torn he feels and frowns, looking back at the shirt before changing into it and standing back up. Ignis knows he has a lot to figure out and deal with and knows that despite his best efforts, he can't run from his problems forever.

Heading back into the studio, Ignis prepares a canvas but hesitates after setting it on the easel. He hasn't really painted since... His jaw clenches and he looks away.

Since Ravus.

The truth is, Ignis only preferred to sketch rather than paint these days because of _him_. Painting was his passion, his forte, but...

"How long..." he mutters to himself as he shakes his head. "How long am I going to let you have control?"

He doesn't know how long he stands there before his mind drifts back to why he wanted to paint in the first place - Noctis - and that surge of inspiration returns. A smile ghosts his lips as he ventures over to his supplies and starts getting things ready. He has to keep his mind on Noctis to keep from drifting back to the dark shadow of Ravus, but soon, Ignis is standing before his easel with a brush in hand.

 

And for the first time since his breakup with Ravus, Ignis paints.

 

* * *

 

 

"Hey, Prom?"

"Yeah, dude?"

"Tell me about this Ignis guy."

Prompto looks up from his phone, pausing _King's Knight_ as he turns to the prince with an eyebrow raised. "Whatcha wanna know?" he asks in reply. "...And why?"

"You know why," Noctis says as he shuts off his phone and slides into Prompto's lap. "You said it was okay."

"I know I know why," Prompto counters. "But you haven't taken  _this_ much interest in someone since..." He perks up a bit. "Well, since me." 

Noctis laughs a little and shrugs. "Because I think he has a history and _you_ seem to know him. I can tell you like him too."

"Uh, dude, have you  _seen_ him?" Prompto whispers, staring up at Noctis before he blushes at the look in the prince's eyes. 

"Yes, yes, I have, Prom." Noctis squirms a little impatiently. "Now tell me stuff."

"His paintings are bad ass, look..." Prompto searches the web on his phone and pulls up some of Ignis's paintings, turning them to show the prince. 

"Whoa," Noctis breathes as he takes the phone from Prompto to sit back and scroll through the art. A good number of them feature a rather striking fair-haired individual and Noctis finds himself intrigued. 

"That's his ex," Prompto explains when he sees the piece Noctis has stopped on. "He hasn't painted since they broke up."

Noctis looks up in surprise. "Really?" he asks and Prompto nods. "...He did look kinda sad."

"He does a lot of commission work these days. Sketches and stuff, but no paintings."

Noctis hands the phone back to Prompto. "How do you know all this?"

Prompto shrugs with a blush. "He used to live in Insomnia," he explains almost sheepishly. "When I did my first photo gallery a few years back, I saw one of his exhibits. Became a fan. You've seen him, dude. He's hot  _and_ talented."

Noctis thinks for a moment. "How long ago was the breakup?"

"A couple years ago."

The prince jerks in surprise. "Two years?" he exclaims. "Was it  _that_ bad?"

Prompto fidgets like he's telling a secret he promised to keep. "Yeah..." He rubs at the back of his neck. "I'm not sure if what I heard is true, but... His ex brought the guy home and they fucked in Ignis's studio and Ignis walked in on them doing it on one of his works-in-progress."

Noctis gawks for a moment before he sits back and wonders if he's made a mistake. He's got his own issues happening with the stalkers and the inherent danger involved with that, and although he knows Ignis didn't faint because of him, the man  _did_ faint. 

But maybe he _should_ keep his distance so Ignis can properly stalk him. The thought makes the Lucian prince smile.

 

* * *

 

It’s late in the afternoon by the time Ignis finally stops painting. He blinks in surprise when he glances out the window and sees how low the sun has gotten in the sky. He looks back at the painting and tilts his head at what’s taking form.

Noctis is most definitely coming into form on the left – a slim golden form that Ignis hasn’t quite defined yet. But it’s the bigger form on the left that Ignis hadn’t anticipated painting. The dark, broad-shouldered figure that Ignis knows is familiar and he steps back in surprise.

It’s Gladio.

He reaches to touch the painting in surprise, so lost in the process that he hadn’t even thought about what he was creating until he stepped back to look and he’s surprised.

He’s still staring when he hears a knock at the front door and frowns. Who could that be?

Putting down his things, Ignis wipes off his hands and heads to the door, opening it to find Gladio on the other side.

 “…Hey Iggy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really didn't like how the dynamic was playing out between gladio and ignis in the first go at this fic.  
> i love ignoct, but wanted this to be a gladnis fic and ignis was being a right ass in the original.  
> not to mention noctis was being a little too manic.  
> so forgive me for any of the ignoct hearts i'll be breaking lol <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the gladnis is here.

Ignis stares for longer than what’s probably appropriate and doesn’t even notice until Gladio clears his throat and shifts his weight awkwardly. Blinking as his mind races to catch up with the situation, Ignis realizes it’s _hot_ outside and he’s letting all the cool air out.

“ _Six_ ,” he mutters before blushing and stepping back. “Apologies, please come in, Gladio.”

The big guy lifts an eyebrow, but is clearly relieved Ignis didn’t refuse him at the door. He doesn’t get a chance to say anything, Ignis has shut the door and is already talking again.

“What on _Eos_ are you doing here?”

Gladio sets his bag down and steels himself as he faces Ignis, ready to explain it all before he notices Ignis is wearing one of his shirts and…there’s paint on it. There’s even a splotch on his nose from where he pushed up his glasses – a habit he’d never managed to rid himself of all these years. The realizations have his jaw dropping slightly and he forgets what he’s going to say in lieu of pointing out the obvious.

“…Iggy, you…you’re paintin’ again?”

Ignis blinks again and looks down at his shirt before blushing and looking away. He nods and Gladio grins.

“That’s…” Gladio trails off and shakes his head. “Congrats, Iggy, this is huge. I’m happy for you.”

Ignis looks back at Gladio, clears his throat and shifts a little. “Yes, well, thank you,” he manages to say, the hint of a smile at his lips. “But you still have yet to tell me why you’re here.”

The grin on Gladio’s face practically vanishes, anxiety etched in the lines of his scarred face. He claps a hand to the back of his neck, rubbing nervously. “Yeah, uh, well,” he stammers, clearing his throat before steeling himself once again. “I was worried, Iggy.”

“Why?” Ignis asks before he can help himself. He bites his tongue but it’s already too late. Gladio flinches and his gaze drops.

“Why?” the taller man echoes before he scoffs. He almost gets mad, almost lets himself lose his temper and _really_ tell Ignis how he feels – which isn’t the love confession by the way – but he stops himself and takes a breath. He remembers Cindy’s encouragement, remembers why he’s here, and lifts his amber eyes to meet Ignis’s emeralds once more.

But part of him wants to draw this out, wants to avoid saying the words because he’s scared. He fully expects Ignis to brush him off, like he always has, even though Gladio has never actually _said_ the words. They remained unspoken and that’s where both of them seemed to want them to stay.

And although it’s only been a few seconds since Ignis asked the question, it might as well have been an eternity. Gladio watches as those lips purse and those eyes narrow and he takes a breath and steels him for the worst.

 _At least you’ll know_ , he hears Cindy’s voice say.

“Because I love you,” he blurts out and from Ignis’s reaction, it was the better way to go.

Ignis is clearly surprised and speechless for once, and it gives Gladio his window to say what he needs to say.

“Ignis, I’ve never asked anything from you and I never will,” he begins, heart pounding and fists clenching with his nerves. “But I’d follow you to hell and back if it meant keepin’ you happy. I’m tired of seein’ you hurt and stressed and miserable and I _know_ there’s somethin’ here.” He takes a step forward to close the distance between him and Ignis. “Iggy, please. Let me take care of you for once, let me do the worryin’ for you. Let me love you the way you deserve.”

Ignis’s hands found the hem of his shirt and clench the fabric in his fists for something to hold as he stares at Gladio in stunned surprise. At first, he was angry Gladio showed up at his door uninvited and unannounced. How dare he, really. But Ignis remembers their last phone call, and knows Gladio had every right to be worried.

He realizes, suddenly, that he’s been silent all this time and instead of thinking about what Gladio said, he was thinking about everything but. He frowns and lowers his head, shaking it after a moment.

“Gladio, you deserve better than me,” he says quietly.

“There _is_ no one better,” Gladio responds firmly, earning a frustrated look from Ignis. But before the artist can protest, Gladio steps forward and wraps a thick arm around him, bringing Ignis close as he brushes one cheek with his other hand. “I want _you_.”

And with that, he kisses Ignis, firmly but with an air of gentleness.

At first, Ignis tenses. His mind is racing a hundred miles a second and he’s struggling to catch up. He’s still stuck on the fact that Gladio’s _here_ , and part of him knows and understands that he’s lucky to have someone like Gladio. The man came all this way to make sure Ignis was okay, to tell him how he really feels, to take care of him.

But just as he parts his lips and lets Gladio in, Ignis is suddenly reminded of Noctis and he gasps, pulling back in alarm. Gladio looks on in a hurt-worried way and Ignis suddenly doesn’t know what to do.

“…Gladio, there’s something you should know.”

 

* * *

 

“He wants you to _what_?”

Ignis clears his throat and blinks rapidly as he tries to think of a better way to explain and fails. “I will not lie to you, Gladio, I find something rather exciting about the idea,” he says, meeting those amber eyes reluctantly.

Gladio can only stare once he realizes Ignis is serious. “Iggy, you—”

“—I am quite aware, Gladio,” the artist is quick to assure. “I don’t need a lecture.”

“Are you sure?” the big man exclaims in response before he takes a breath and calms down. “Sorry.”

An awkward silence follows. They’d moved into the living room to sit on the couch and talk, but this was definitely not the conversation Gladio was expecting. He thinks about what Ignis told him about the prince, about what he wants and what Ignis is going through, but he can’t understand.

Ignis is an adult who can make his own decisions. Gladio can care for him, voice his concerns, but Ignis has to be the one to consciously make the decision whether or not to engage in something as serious as stalking someone – even if the intended party is aware.

“I know how it sounds, Gladio,” Ignis voices after several moments have passed, “but…I think I want this.” He looks up at the other man before reaching to touch his face. “I told you, you deserve better than me.”

Gladio scoffs in reply with a shake of his head, covering the hand on his face. “Maybe that’s why I’m here,” he says. “Maybe you need this, but you need someone to take care of you.”

“That’s hardly fair to you,” Ignis whispers as he meets the other man’s gaze.

“Why?” Gladio asks as he leans in close. “Just because you’re stalking the prince of Lucis, it means you can’t have a boyfriend?”

A tiny smile curls at the edges of Ignis’s mouth and he finds himself sliding into Gladio’s lap before he can help himself. “Who said you were my boyfriend?” he teases before kissing those warm lips.

It turns hungry and Ignis is being carried off to the bedroom.

 

He doesn’t complain. And when they're coming down from the height of their sex, Ignis tells Gladio he loves him too.

 

* * *

 

When Ignis wakes in the morning, he’s not sure if it’s coincidence or what that he feels better than he has since arriving. Before he arrived, even. Months. He knows the warm body pressed against him has a lot to do with it and he almost wants to wake Gladio up for another round, but he has stuff to do today. He has to resist temptation.

But the thought that he finally rested – _really_ rested – for the first time in a long time makes him stop and think. He’s grateful, somewhat relieved, and it almost makes him reconsider his decision to indulge Noctis in this bizarre fantasy.

Reluctantly, Ignis pulls away to sit up and rub at his face while he thinks about his plans for the day. If Gladio hadn’t arrived, the plan would’ve been to go and buy souvenirs since he’s had yet to do so with the way everything’s panned out. So Ignis decides that’s what he’s going to do. Gladio agreed to let him pursue this thing with Noctis, so Ignis expects he’ll be able to carry out his plans as intended.

He’s certain Gladio will enjoy himself on the beach and work on his tan to kill time.

With a smile, Ignis carefully gets out of bed and heads into the bathroom to shower. Part of him wants Gladio to join him, but the rest of him agrees he’ll stay on track with his plans if he doesn’t have any distractions. He wonders, despite everything that’s changed, how all of this is going to turn out. Part of him worries he’s going to hurt Gladio, the other part of him is certain this is a harmless fling with the prince that he won’t have to worry about once the summer ends.

He conveniently forgets the danger inherent in his decision to “stalk” Noctis. Forgets that the prince is actually being threatened in a way that could bring harm to anyone involved.

Finishing up in the shower, Ignis gets out and dries off, wrapping the towel around himself as he heads back into his bedroom to dress. Gladio’s waking by this point and eyes him sleepily with a smirk on his face.

“Oh, now this is a good way to start the day,” he drawls, rubbing at one eye as he reaches with his other hand for Ignis.

The artist easily darts out of reach and smiles as he turns his back to Gladio and drops the towel. “None for you, darling,” he says. “Hands off today.”

“Now that’s just _unfair_.”

Ignis pulls on his clothes one article at a time, taking great strides to take his time as he glances over his shoulder. “I’m going out today,” he explains. “To give this…thing with the prince a good try. Perhaps I will fail miserably and put an end to it, but do be a dear and stay home, would you?”

Huffing, Gladio gets up from the bed and walks over to Ignis now that the man is dressed. He tugs him closer by his belt-loops and kisses him warmly. “As long as you come home to me,” he murmurs against Ignis’s lips.

With a smile, Ignis returns the kiss and nods before he turns to leave the bedroom  and start some coffee. His thoughts drift from Gladio to his plans for the day once more. He’ll go shopping for souvenirs, eat lunch at Ardyn’s, and if he hasn’t come across Noctis by then, he’ll go to the beach. Since the prince has been stopping by the chairs close to him, Ignis has to assume the prince is staying somewhere close by. He hopes if he sticks around that spot on the beach, Noctis will show up.

Part of him is bothered by how easily he slips into thinking about how to play this game with Noctis, and another part is worried about how well he’s playing it to begin with. He doesn’t see the harm in playing if Noctis wants him too, but Ignis never stopped to think about how much the Crownsguards know about this plan. What if Noctis hasn’t told them? What if they reassess how much of a threat Ignis is and put an end to this in a way that involves actual jail time or something?

And what if Noctis sees that as another part of the fantasy? And not as something serious?

Then again, Ignis could be worrying over nothing. Besides, Gladio is here now and will hopefully keep him in check and point out if something seems beyond fantasy. It shouldn’t be the other man’s responsibility, but Ignis knows Gladio will be there for him.

Maybe he should be worried about how easily he uses and expects that treatment.

 

After making some coffee and enough breakfast for himself and Gladio, Ignis eats and writes a short sweet note for the other man, grabs his things, and leaves. The heat nearly stops him like a wall, but he steels himself against it and walks down the sidewalk to the shops.  He’s feeling too good to let the weather bother him, and he hasn’t had a dizzy spell in a couple of days. If anything, he can take a car back home once he’s done shopping and eating, so he’s not too worried.

After walking a couple of blocks, a strange feeling starts to overcome the artist. He frowns and glances around the empty streets, not seeing anyone, but he knows he’s not alone. He comes to a stop, glances over his shoulder, but no one is there. He hesitates to shrug it off, but he assures himself that he’s just being paranoid after thinking about Noctis’s stalkers all morning.

Not to mention, those girls from the other day had been _terrible_ stalkers – standing out in the open, attacking in plain sight. Ignis can’t imagine they’d hide any better from someone like him, but that thought makes his frown deepen. Why does he even think someone is stalking _him_?

Forcing the thoughts away, Ignis resumes his walk to the shops and heads into one upon arrival. He spends a good bit of time in one looking for gifts for Gladio and Cindy – finding a corny shirt that he knows Gladio will love and a mug for Cindy that she can display in her shop, if anything. He always finds them cheesy gifts and they always love them.

As he passes the window, a  flash of motion from the corner of his eye brings him to a stop, but when he looks, nothing is there. He’s suddenly feeling nervous and he can’t help wondering if he’s imagining things, or maybe it’s Noctis playing tricks on him?

Swallowing, Ignis goes to the counter to pay for the gifts and tries not to overthink things as he leaves and heads to another shop. He tries to find a busy one to lose himself in the crowd and feels better once he succeeds.

 

* * *

 

By the time lunch rolls around, Ignis has forgotten about the weird sense of being followed. He enters Ardyn’s with a slight smile on his face, even though the sun is threatening to melt him. He spots Ardyn up front as usual and offers a smile, but the yellow-eyed man scowls at him instead.

“Oh, look what the _Crownsguard_ dragged in,” he sneers with a curl of his lip.

Ignis frowns. “I beg your pardon?”

“Oh, don’t let me _upset_ you,” Ardyn replies, lifting his hands dramatically. “Our dear artist might _faint_.”

Ignis’s brow furrows as he passes the other man, glancing at the hostess who seems equally as uncomfortable as she leads the artist to his table.

“I’ll be _watching_.”

Ignis whips around to look at Ardyn, eyes wide, but the man throws back his head and laughs as he walks away. Suddenly unsure he wants to stay in the restaurant any longer, Ignis takes his seat and is glad he does. Moments later, Noctis shows up with Prompto, Nyx, and Cor. Once again, Luna is absent from the group and Ignis briefly wonders why she didn’t stay.

Torn between relief from seeing Noctis, and worry over the prince’s eerily coincidental timing, Ignis watches as Ardyn flourishes back over to Noctis. The discomfort the other man’s behavior brought him refreshes as he watches Noctis hurry past Ardyn while the Crownsguards stop the odd man from getting any closer. He wonders what’s going on, but when his eyes find the prince, he’s startled to find those blue eyes already on him.

Despite his discomfort, Ignis can’t help a smile, watching relief and desire flood the prince’s face. Those eyes turn hungry and Ignis feels his cheeks redden. He thinks about Gladio and how satisfied last night made him feel, but the look in those sapphire eyes across the room have Ignis struggling.

His appetite for lunch is waning in lieu of something much better. And Ignis can’t decide if he’d rather have Noctis bend him over a table, or Gladio. Or maybe he’d take Noctis instead.

There’s no one blocking Ignis’s view of the prince as he and Prompto take their seats at the table. The blond hasn’t noticed Ignis yet, and both Nyx and Cor’s attention are still on Ardyn, who’s pretending to busy himself with something up front. A waitress approaches Ignis and he gives her his orders for both drink and meal, but his gaze never leaves Noctis – he remembers the command given to him the other night:

 _Watch me_.

And Ignis does as a waitress approaches the prince’s table too. He watches Noctis and Prompto give their orders, and once she’s left, Noctis makes his move. He’s got a fair bit of privacy with his table in the corner, and Cor and Nyx have their backs to him in order to observe the restaurant. They fail to notice the way the prince’s hand slips into Prompto’s lap.

It takes a moment for Ignis to realize what’s going on and he gasps before a wave of jealousy crashes over him and his jaw clenches. He notes the way Prompto jerks in surprise before relaxing almost immediately and Ignis _knows_ they’ve done this before. He’s frustratingly aroused and jealous and _intrigued_ as Noctis’s hand moves subtly around, not enough to draw attention, but enough for anyone watching to know _exactly_ what’s going on.

And Ignis knows. He holds Noctis’s gaze as Prompto’s beautifully freckled skin flushes. His lips part in a silent moan, but he’s quiet as his blue eyes fix themselves on the table, staring intently while Noctis touches him. He manages to scoot his chair close to the prince after a moment, but there wasn’t much room between them to begin with. Ignis wets his lips as he keeps watching, noticing Noctis shift a bit and Ignis realizes the prince’s hand is _in_ the blond’s pants now.

Prompto takes it like a champ. There’s a smile on his parted lips, gaze flickering to Noctis before realizing the prince isn’t watching him. His gaze follows Noctis’s and he spots Ignis with a soft gasp, gawking and biting his lip before he makes a noise. His skin flushes impossibly deeper and Ignis can see the struggle – Prompto wants to put on a show and _can’t_.

Now two pairs of beautiful blue eyes are on him, but Prompto can’t hold the stare for long. His eyes eventually flutter shut and his head tilts back, hips moving just _ever_ so slightly. Ignis leans forward with a silent hunger, nodding to Noctis, urging him with that gesture to finish the blond off and put him out of his pleasured misery. The prince smirks, but his hand starts moving faster.

A few more torturous minutes pass before Prompto jerks in his seat, a hand slapping against Noctis’s chest to brace himself as he bites his lip and tries not to arch as he comes. He succeeds for the most part before he slumps in his seat, skin flushed, bangs sticking to his forehead as Noctis silently works to clean him up.

But they never break their held gaze. Ignis stares and watches as Noctis grabs a cloth napkin, sees the pleased smile on the prince’s face.

Ignis hopes his lunch comes before he does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am so so so so sorry for the delay. in between being busy, not having inspiration, and then getting my first kidney stone - i haven't really had the time!
> 
> i'm going on vacation starting this saturday and will be gone for a week. so expect another brief hiatus before the next chapter comes out. i think the uninspired boat is gone though.
> 
> don't forget you can follow me on tumblr, twitter, and instagram for updates on me and stuff - i'm dragonbornette on all three platforms :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ignis goes shopping.  
> ardyn acts weird.  
> threesome.

Barely managing to keep together, Ignis calls a car to take him back to his beach house and all but flies inside, calling for Gladio. The big man appears from the bedroom, dressed in his bathing suit, and Ignis can barely contain himself as he drops the bags with the souvenirs inside and throws himself at his boyfriend.

Gladio catches Ignis in surprise, stumbling back a step before he eases into the hungry kiss Ignis is demanding of him, hands sliding down to grip Ignis’s pert ass. He presses Ignis into the wall outside the bedroom, tongue dragging over one lip before he stops to think something is going on and he pulls back in surprise, panting softly.

“Hey, what’s this about?”

Ignis lets out a soft whine of disapproval and meets those amber eyes with need. “I will explain later,” he breathes, pulling back to take off his shirt and toss it to the side. “I need you _now_.”

He doesn’t care that the room is spinning, that his heart is pounding, that he feels seconds away from exploding. Ignis lets Gladio carry him into the bedroom and drop him on the bed, while they both squirm out of what clothes they have left and Gladio finds the lube. And even though Gladio turned out to be an _excellent_ love the night before, Ignis’s mind is on those blue Lucian eyes staring at him in the restaurant. The way that hand slipped beneath the table, the way the two had just so _effortlessly_ teased him in public.

Ignis’s cock twitches with arousal before Gladio’s fingers slip out of him and his cock takes their place. Crying out, Ignis takes off his glasses and tosses them on the nightstand, burying his face in the sheets as Gladio fucks him hard from behind. His knuckles go white as he grips the linens, whimpering as each thrust drags his own cock against the bed over and over and over.

He thinks of Gladio, but his thoughts drift back to Noctis and he moans as he pushes himself up onto his hands, feels Gladio help him until he’s pulled flush against that warm chest behind him. Turning his head, Ignis kisses Gladio hungrily, with need and desire, pushing back into each thrust as a hand wraps around his cock to bring him home.

“G-Gladio…” he struggles, feeling his body tremble and tense with his pending release. His fingers tangle in Gladio’s long dark hair and he bucks into that hand stroking him as another thrust sends shock waves through his body and Ignis comes hard.

Gladio growls against his neck and thrusts into that willing body until his own orgasm is pulled from him and together, they sag back down onto the soiled bed. Gladio stays inside, and for a moment, Ignis thinks he’s ready to go again, but the big guy finally pulls out and slumps beside him on the bed.

“Shit, Iggy…” he pants, wiping his brow. “That was…shit, we need to do that again.”

Ignis realizes the room is still spinning, so he clenches his eyes shut, laughing softly. “Soon,” he assures, reaching blindly for one of his lover’s hands to hold.

“You gonna tell me what that was all about?”

“Prince Noctis,” Ignis admits with some reluctance. “He…” He swallows and turns on his side to face Gladio. “He gave his friend a handjob right in front of me, in public. It was…” He touches his other hand to his face, a blush on his cheeks.

“Whoa.”

“I know.”

Gladio tugs Ignis closer and kisses him, slow. “What’re you gonna do for the rest of the day?”

Ignis lets out a soft moan into the kiss but pulls back with a sigh. “It isn’t over yet, darling,” he replies, reaching up to touch Gladio’s tanned face. “It’s my turn to get some sun.” He sits up, ready to shower and change into his swim trunks, but he’s tugged back onto Gladio’s chest and he can’t help a soft laugh as they kiss again. “I can make you lunch before I go.”

Gladio easily agrees to the offer and they get up to go shower together. It threatens to turn into something else before Ignis squirms out of the other man’s hold to dry off and change into his swim trunks. He makes Gladio a gourmet grilled cheese before he grabs his things to head out to the beach.

As he steps out into the heat, Ignis realizes he’d forgotten all about everything else that had happened so far that day. The strange sense of being followed, Ardyn’s odd behavior at the restaurant. He wonders if he should’ve told Gladio, or if it mattered.

Maybe it’s better to leave that stuff out. He doesn’t want Gladio getting worried.

 

Reaching his chair, Ignis sets his things down, applies some sunscreen, and relaxes for a bit. He doesn’t relax for long before a group of people pass by and he opens his eyes to find Noctis and company have indeed arrived as well. Ignis has to wonder if the other’s timing is coincidental or intentional, because he’s not the one being stalked yet it’s starting to feel that way.

When he meets Noctis’s gaze this time, however, the prince acts a little shy and reserved, almost like the way he’d been when Ignis had met him after fainting. But Prompto spots Ignis and waves excitedly at the artist like he hadn’t just gotten a handjob in front of him an hour ago.

Ignis decides not to question their behavior and waves back, catching Nyx’s attention as the Crownsguard comes to a stop and nods to him.

“Feeling better?”

Ignis smiles and returns the nod. “Much, thank you.”

Nodding once more, Nyx continues on and Prompto edges closer, fidgeting with his camera. “Hey, um, would it be too much trouble to get that pic now?”

Noctis facepalms as Ignis laughs, nodding as he carefully gets to his feet. Prompto hands the camera to Noctis and all but bounces over to Ignis’s side. The artist meets Noctis’s gaze and slips an arm around Prompto, tugging him close as the young blond squeaks in surprise with a blush.

Even the prince stiffens with a tinge of jealousy as he hides behind the camera and takes the picture, and Ignis has to fight not to grin as he releases Prompto. He watches the younger man hurry back to Noctis’s side, perking up at the picture.

“Perfect!”

Ignis meets Noctis’s gaze again and makes his way over to the prince, bowing his head softly. “Highness,” he greets as Noctis glances briefly to Nyx, then Prompto, then looks back at Ignis.

“Hey.”

“How was lunch?”

Noctis struggles to keep a straight face and turns to look at the ocean as he clears his throat. “Should’ve saved some for you,” he comments. “It was delicious.”

Ignis blushes a bit, so does Prompto. “Incredibly thoughtful of you,” he replies, inclining his head briefly towards Noctis. “Perhaps I’ll get to try it sometime.”

Prompto looks up in surprise as Ignis glances at him, a blush blooming on his freckled cheeks as he looks away with a nervous laugh.

Ignis lets his imagination wonder, thinking about what the ultimate goal is between the three of them, wondering if it’s just a cat and mouse game, or if they could go over to one of those changing tents and…

Suddenly aware his swim trunks will _not_ hide anything, Ignis pushes those thoughts away and unfortunately, he thinks of Ardyn and the strange encounter they’d had that morning. He isn’t sure if he should bring it up with Noctis, but knows it’s probably not the worst idea he’s had.

“Ah, Noctis,” he says. “May I trouble you to ask about Ardyn?”

Noctis frowns and turns his gaze from the ocean to Ignis. “Ardyn?” he asks in reply. “What about him?”

“Did he seem to be acting…unusual today?”

“ _Today_?” Noctis scoffs, shaking his head. “When is he _not_ acting weird?” He looks away and crosses his arms. “He’s a friend of the family, so…I’ve known him practically my whole life…” He pauses in thought and looks back at Ignis. “Why do you ask?”

It’s Ignis’s turn to frown. “He, well… I suppose you know how he is,” he begins, struggling to put the oddness of today’s events into words. “He’s always greeted me kindly, treated me like a valued guest, but this morning… He was rude, and dare I say, creepy. He alluded to knowing what took place last night, my fainting, that is.” He hesitates to continue. “He told me he’d be…watching.”

Noctis’s gaze hardens immediately and he’s calling for Cor, alarming Ignis, who thinks he’s done something to upset the prince. But when Cor approaches, Noctis faces the Crownsguard, arms still crossed. “I was right,” he snaps, “it _is_ Ardyn.”

Cor’s stoic expression doesn’t change, although he lifts an eyebrow. “Highness?”

Noctis turns back to Ignis. “Tell him what you told me, Iggy.”

Ignis opts not to comment on the nickname as he turns to face Cor, repeating the story and noting the way Cor stiffens with a sharp inhale.

“ _Six_ ,” the Crownsguard curses before he pulls out his phone and walks a few steps away after glancing along the beach one way, then the other.

“Did I say something?” Ignis asks in confusion, who sighs as Prompto inches closer.

“So, you know about the stalkers,” Noctis explains as he leads them away from his Crownsguards. “I mean, it sounds kinda dumb when you say it out loud – ‘oh the prince has stalkers!’ – but it’s gotten pretty serious. They’ve gotten too close a bunch of times, knowing stuff they shouldn’t know, to the point where my dad is convinced we have someone leaking information.” He rubs the back of his neck and glances at Prompto, both of them looking somber.

“But it’s not just being followed,” Noctis continues. “I mean, you saw what those girls did the other day. They… _attacked_.” He shakes his head. “For what?” He scoffs and uncrosses his arms. “So, we came out here at Ardyn’s suggestion. ‘Get out of the city, covert-like, come to Galdin Quay a little earlier this year! You’ll be safe!’” His hands ball into fists. “I should’ve _known_.”

Ignis frowns and glances back at Cor, who’s talking furiously into his phone. “But how would Ardyn know security details if he was here and you were back in the city?”

Noctis makes a face. “…I don’t know,” he admits with a sigh. “He’s actually my uncle. So, it’s…it’s not a stretch of the imagination that he managed to find out things solely because he’s a member of the family.”

“I am sorry,” Ignis says, not sure what else he _can_ say, but he feels guilty and wonders if their game has already come to an end.

Sensing this, Noctis switches like a light and smirks. “Don’t you _dare_ think you’re off the hook, mister.”

Before Ignis can respond, Cor is approaching and motioning for the prince to come with him. “Highness, I want you inside until we can locate and clear Ardyn.”

Noctis frowns, for several reasons, but he opts to comment on the less severe one. “Can Iggy come?”

Ignis’s eyebrows lift, again with the nickname.

“Ardyn might be targeting him too. You heard what he told Iggy.”

Noctis is incredibly decent at manipulation, no wonder Ignis got dragged into this.

Cor studies Ignis for a long moment before he nods and Nyx is leading them back along the beach. They’re staying in a house only three down from Ignis’s and the artist is stumped that he’d never noticed before. He follows the prince inside and to the living room, sitting on the couch with him as Nyx and Cor check the house to be safe.

“I’m hungry,” Prompto whines as he slumps into the armchair.

“…Prom, you…literally just ate like, two hours ago,” Noctis says, staring at his friend, who stares back.

“I was a little _distracted_.”

Noctis grins. “That was just the appetizer, dude.” He looks at Ignis and wets his lips. “The main course is here now.”

Ignis flushes and looks away as he clears his throat. “I could make us something,” he offers, changing the subject, and Prompto perks up in surprise. “Shall we go into the kitchen so I can see what you have?”

Eagerly, Prompto and Noctis get to their feet and drag Ignis into the kitchen. He looks through their cabinets and the refrigerator and decides they have what he needs to make a pizza. Noctis fails to hide how impressed he is, but Prompto laughs like he expects nothing less from his hero.

As the pizza cooks, Noctis tries to drag Ignis to the bedroom but Cor stops them and asks if Ignis has his phone. Once Ignis confirms he does, the Crownsguard provides him with his number.

“If you see _anything_ ,” he states firmly. “You call me.” He sighs and shakes his head. “I apologize that you seem to be caught up in this, but we must exercise extreme caution with His Highness.”

Ignis programs the number into his phone and nods. “Will you be returning to the Capital?” he asks, hesitantly, but Cor can only shake his head.

“That remains to be seen,” he answers as Noctis frowns beside Ignis and Cor looks at the prince. “I’m sorry, Your Highness, but we might have to. You do not have the proper protection out here. It may be safer for you to return to the city.”

“But we know who it is!” Noctis protests angrily.

“We still need _proof_ ,” Cor reminds, giving Noctis a look that says the conversation is over and turning on his heel to go back to the kitchen.

Noctis storms back to the bedroom and Prompto skitters away from the counter to go after him, taking Ignis’s hand along the way to bring him. They follow the prince inside and shut the door  as Prompto lets go of Ignis’s hand to go to Noctis, who’s sitting on the bed.

Ignis watches as Prompto climbs on the behind Noctis, kisses his hair and slides his hands onto the prince’s shoulders. He keeps watching, listening to the blond murmur soft words of comfort into Noctis’s ear, too softly for Ignis to pick up, but enough for the artist to get the gist. Noctis begins to relax as those hands massage his shoulders, then slip down along his sides to disappear under the hem of that dark shirt.

Noctis looks up and realizes Ignis is watching and his expression switches instantly. He turns on Prompto and crawls over the blond, who gasps in surprise, but lets out a quiet moan as the prince straddles him. They’re kissing, hot and heavy, Noctis nipping at Prompto’s lips as his hands move to take off the blond’s vest and shirt.

Ignis is frozen against the door as the two youths undress in front of him, feeling his trunks tent with his own erection as their hips meet and rut against each other with reckless desire, their moans filling the silence of the room. Noctis keeps glancing up, keeps making sure Ignis is watching, before his gaze drops down to the state of the artist’s swimsuit. He licks his lips but turns back to Prompto, stripping the blond and exposing him before Ignis.

Prompto’s chest heaves as he pants and looks up at Ignis too, coy and erect and ready for someone to take care of him, but he defers to the prince and bites his lip. “Noct,” he whines softly, squirming as he looks from his prince to the artist frozen by the door.

Noctis turns to look at Ignis and curls a finger. “Come on, Iggy,” he coaxes. “Don’t just stand there…”

His feet moving of their own volition, Ignis approaches the bed as Prompto gets on his hands and knees and reaches for the artist’s trunks, tugging them down as Noctis busies himself behind him. Prompto glances up a little shyly at Ignis, like this is Noctis’s plan and not his and he isn’t sure how Ignis feels about getting a blowjob from _him_ instead of the prince.

But Ignis nods silently in encouragement and lets his head fall back as his cock sinks into the blissful warmth of Prompto’s mouth. His fingers find those blond locks and anchor themselves as the younger man gets busy, moving his head, swirling his tongue, before he remembers he’s supposed to be watching Noctis.

Ignis immediately brings his head back down to find Noctis waiting impatiently, offering an apologetic smile as the prince lifts himself up and pushes inside of Prompto, who moans around Ignis’s cock. Ignis shivers at the sensation and his hips jerk forward as he gasps softly, and Noctis begins moving with soft grunts of pleasure.

Their gazes meet and Ignis can’t help the way this is making him feel. The way those blue eyes bore into him as that mouth pleasures him from below, the way Noctis is so intense with his thrusts, Ignis is starting to feel like _he’s_ the one being fucked.

He doesn’t protest as the prince reaches for him and pulls him into a hungry kiss as Prompto whines with need between them. He imagines that mouth around him is Noctis and his hips thrust forward before he feels Prompto gag and he gasps in concern, pulling back and feeling that illusion shatter.

“S-sorry, wasn’t ready,” Prompto croaks, whimpering when a thrust from Noctis hits him just right. “Ready now, buddy.”

Ignis hesitates, but Prompto reaches for him and takes all of him into his mouth in one expert go. Ignis chokes out a moan and meets Noctis’s gaze again, and this time, he thrusts into that mouth with intent as he holds those eyes with his own.

“I bet you feel _good_ ,” Noctis breathes as he thrusts deep into Prompto, smiling at the way the blond whines around the cock in his mouth. “Bet you wish that mouth was me.”

Ignis can’t hold on much longer. He’d never been with anyone who talked dirty and he was shocked to find out how much it was turning him on even with a mouth around his cock. His fingers stroke Prompto’s hair as he thrusts into the younger man’s mouth, gasping as he tries to warn Prompto. His body tenses, his toes curl into the floor, and the room spins as he comes with a stifled shout – worried Nyx and Cor would burst in and catch them all in such a compromising position.

Prompto moans around him as he takes all that Ignis has to give and Noctis’s thrusts turn erratic as Ignis looks at him just in time to watch him press in deep inside of Prompto as his release is pulled from him. Prompto comes untouched as Noctis fills him, and they grind together, pale bodies moving beautifully together as they work their releases out in sync.

It’s fueling the artist in Ignis as he pulls back to fix his trunks and sags against the door. He’s turned on enough to go again, but guilt settles in as he wonders what this means for him and Gladio.

Should he feel bad?

He doesn’t know.

 

* * *

 

It’s late by the time Ignis leaves to go back to his house. The beach has emptied for the most part at this out, but that’s not unusual since this stretch is private. Ignis can't stop thinking about what happened back at the house, and how he's going to explain this to Gladio.

As he approaches his house, however, the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and he comes to a stop when he hears movement inside. It’s when he hears a crash that he becomes alarmed and bolts forward, shouting Gladio’s name. His phone is in hand and he’s dialing Cor’s number before something strikes him in the back of the head just as Cor answers.

He croaks out a cry for help before his world goes black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so. let's try to see if i can finish this one. thanks for your patience, i hope this chapter is worth it.
> 
> (and if you like fantasy, please go give Dreamweaver a chance :/)
> 
> \--
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/dragonbornette) | [tumblr](https://dragonbornette.tumblr.com/)  
> 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ignis wakes up.   
> there's a lot of talk.  
> and ignis knows he's got a problem.

When Ignis comes to, his world is masked by the throbbing centered at the back of his head. He groans, shifting in discomfort as he reaches to touch the source, confused as he tries to open his eyes, but everything _hurts_ and he can barely get them past a squint.

“He’s awake!” a voice shouts that causes Ignis to wince.

Prompto?

Managing to open his eyes as four fuzzy figures file into the room, Prompto helps Ignis with his glasses, offering a worried but supportive smile as things come into focus for the artist and he looks from the young blond to the others in the room. His vision swims for a moment and he has to close his eyes and swallow against the turmoil in his stomach.

Noctis looks like he’s been up all night crying – eyes red and puffy, face drawn, hair a mess, and Ignis can only wonder what’s gone on while he’s been out. He shifts his gaze to Gladio, who looks tense and worried and Ignis swallows the guilt as he looks away.

He doesn’t deserve Gladio and he shouldn’t have let the other man convince him otherwise.

“What happened?” he finally manages to ask. He realizes he’s not in his own beach house, so they must be in Noctis’s. He’s honestly surprised he’s not in the hospital.

“Some girls broke into your house,” Noctis speaks up, looking distraught and guilty as if he feels responsible, “but they didn’t know…” He pauses and glances up at Gladio.

“They didn’t know I was in there,” the big guy finishes. “I caught one of them but the one keeping watch clocked you in the head with a bat. I didn’t know you were out there, Iggs…”

Cor places a hand on Noctis’s shoulder. “We came straight away once I received your call,” he explains. “They were going through your things before Gladio caught them…”

“…They, uh, trashed your paint room, Iggy,” Gladio adds, rubbing the back of his head as if _he_ feels guilty for not stopping it in time.

Ignis doesn’t even care about his head anymore. He’s torn between anger and fear and frustration. He _asked_ for this, didn’t he? He had to pursue this damned obsession when he was supposed to be resting on vacation. But he had to give in to this obsession with Noctis. He glances up at the prince only to find an expression on the younger man’s face that oddly mirrors his own.

Like Noctis is also realizing how stupid this was to pursue.

“How long have I been unconscious?” Ignis asks, tearing his gaze away from the prince to look out the window. It looks like early morning and he frowns.

“A few hours,” Cor replies. “You were in and out once we found you, but we had a doctor come and check you out. You’re under strict bed rest orders, and he mentioned something about your blood pressure. Just stay put here for a few days.”

Ignis bites back a sarcastic quip about bed rest before he realizes he’s in Noctis’s bed. “Here?” he asks, gesturing to the bed. “What about my own house?”

“It’s not safe, Iggy,” Gladio reminds softly. “They’ve got to fix the door and the window those girls messed up before we can go back. But they assured us it would be taken of ASAP.” He crosses his arms and shrugs. “We’ll see.”

“We stayed and cleaned it up for you,” Prompto advises and Ignis glances at him with a soft smile, reaching to take the young blond’s hand before the vision of those lips around his cock come flashing back to his mind and he blushes as he looks away.

But then he realizes the bigger picture at hand. “I can’t stay here!” he protests, horrified at the thought of imposing. “There cannot possibly be any room to accommodate myself and Gladio.”

“There isn’t,” Cor confirms with a shake of his head. “We will be returning to the Capital in a couple of days. Til then, we’ll manage.”

Noctis tenses at those words and Ignis realizes more went on while he was out than he realized. “We are _not_ leaving him while he’s like this!” the prince snaps, eyes blazing as he looks up at Cor.

“Highness, we have been _through_ this and the decision stands,” Cor declares firmly, jaw set. “The orders come from your father and not me.”

“Because _you_ didn’t tell him about Iggy!” Noctis shouts back, pointing at the man in his bed as his voice rises with his frustration. “We leave him and then what happens? Those girls come back? They start stalking him?”

“And what do you expect us to do?” Cor thunders as he steps towards the prince. “Cart him along with us to Insomnia until this has all blown over?”

“That’s not my _point_ ,” Noctis seethes, hands balling into fists as he fights to calm down. “He has been _hurt_ because of _me_. And you would leave him alone. If they come back, then what? We don’t know what they want, what they’ll do, how far they’ll go! He could go home and they could follow him. Leaving him puts him in danger because of me and I will _not_ allow that to happen.”

The Crownsguard stares down at the prince for a long moment as Ignis watches in a mixture of embarrassment and surprise. He glances at Gladio but even the big guy seems a little uncomfortable with the situation unfolding in front of them.

“Nyx,” Cor finally says, motioning with his hand as he walks out of the bedroom.

The other Crownsguard glances from Ignis to Prompto to Noctis and lastly Gladio before he follows Cor out of the room and shuts the door behind him.

Once they’re alone, Prompto lets out a shaky breath but gets to his feet and goes to Noctis. “Dude, you okay?” he asks as he touches the other’s shoulder.

Noctis nods wordlessly in reply before he turns from Prompto to run to Ignis, throwing his arms around the other man as carefully as he can manage. “I’m so sorry,” he’s breathing into Ignis’s neck as Ignis returns the embrace and glances up at Prompto, then at Gladio.

“It’s alright,” he tries to say as a realization seems to settle in Gladio’s eyes.

“This was so fucking stupid,” the prince is rambling softly, sniffling as he fails to keep himself from crying. “I just wanted to…” He stops when Ignis takes his face in his hands and everyone’s blinking in surprise, even Ignis.

“I promise I understand,” the artist assures as he meets that teary-eyed gaze, “but you are _not_ responsible for the decisions _I_ make. I could have walked away, but I didn’t.”

Noctis nods to show he understands just as a knock sounds at the door and Cor strides purposefully back into the room, phone outstretched in his hand. He passes it to Noctis, who blinks with a frown and takes the phone from him.

“Hello?” he asks before he stiffens. “…Hey, dad…”

Glancing at Ignis apologetically, Noctis gets to his feet and leaves the room. Cor turns to follow but hesitates and glances at Ignis.

“Please accept my apologies,” the Crownsguard says and Ignis looks up in confusion before he winces a bit at the movement.

“For…what?”

“Where do I start?” Cor asks with a soft scoff. “Mainly for implying I didn’t care for your well-being upon our return to Insomnia. That was not my intention by any means. His Majesty told us to bring his son back to him safely, and that was exactly what I intended to do.”

Ignis’s gaze drops away from Cor to look at Gladio, who’s silently watching but he lowers his gaze to the bed and shakes his head gently with a wince. “I would not have seen it as something personal,” he assures in reply before glancing back up. “Your duty is not to me, but to the prince and the king. I understand that.”

“Yet, His Highness made a point…” Cor glances over his shoulder when he hears Noctis’s voice rise. “Excuse me.”

The three men watch him leave and an awkward silence follows. Ignis can feel Gladio’s gaze on him but can’t bring himself to meet it.

Prompto realizes they need to talk and sidles away from the bed towards the door. “Uh, I’ll…come back later,” he says, slipping out and shutting the door behind him.

“Ignis…”

“…You don’t have to say it, Gladio,” Ignis cuts him off gently. “…I know.”

“I’m not gonna browbeat you, Iggy,” Gladio corrects as he approaches the bed and sits on it. “I don’t think anyone saw this comin’, I’m just glad you’re _safe_.” He takes the artist’s hands in his own, staring until Ignis finally looks at him. “I’m more concerned about what happens now.”

Ignis sighs in response, closing his eyes. “I don’t know,” he admits. “I hate to admit that I’m afraid to go home until this is over. I do not want them following us.”

“…But you do wanna go home?”

Opening his eyes again, Ignis meets Gladio’s gaze and nods slightly, unable to avoid the discomfort the movement brings, but he does. He got more than he bargained for by chasing Noctis, and although he doesn’t want to say goodbye, he thinks the illusion’s been shattered.

“Okay,” Gladio says, leaning in to gently kiss Ignis. “I’m gonna take a walk, clear my head. You gonna be okay?”

Ignis offers a smile, letting go of Gladio’s hands to take that stubbled face in his own. “Love you.”

There’s a look in Gladio’s eyes at those words that worries Ignis and it takes the artist a moment to realize it’s guilt. He doesn’t know why the other man would feel guilty, but the look is enough to make Ignis remember what happened the night before.

He can’t bring himself to admit it to Gladio, though. He can only watch the other man get to his feet and leave the room, and it’s only then Ignis realizes how tired he is. He blames the head injury and the heat and finds himself drifting back to sleep, alone in Noctis’s bedroom.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

He wakes later in the day to the sound of a camera clicking a few feet away. Tensing with anxiety, his eyes flutter open and he spots Prompto a few feet away, lowering his camera with a guilty expression on his face.

“I literally just realized how bad an idea that was,” the blond apologies, ducking his head. “I’m sorry.”

Relaxing, Ignis offers a smile and stops himself from shaking his head. “It’s quite alright,” he assures softly as Prompto sits down beside him on the bed.

“No, it’s not, dude,” he replies, looking at the picture on his camera. “I kinda do stuff without thinking sometimes. It’s gonna hit me in the ass someday.”

Ignis snorts softly and reaches for the blond’s hand closest to him. “You are more aware than you realize,” he assures as the younger man looks to him. “…May I ask you something personal?”

Prompto’s blushing at the touch and those words before he looks up in confusion and Ignis only just now is able to admire the freckles dusting his young face. He’s ridiculously cute this close up. “What?”

“…What are you to Noctis?”

“Oh…” Prompto blushes again and shrugs a bit. “Uh, we kind of don’t define it. He’s my best friend, my boyfriend, my…whatever.” He shrugs again. “We’ve always just kind of… _been_.”

Ignis smiles a little at the response before it fades. “What does that make me?” he asks softly, almost to himself, but Prompto’s gaze snaps up to him in concern.

“…Are you mad?”

“What?” Ignis asks, blinking in surprise as he looks up at Prompto. “Of course not. I am…simply trying to make sense of all this.” He pauses. “It doesn’t bother you? His interest in me.”

Prompto smiles in reply, shaking his head. “Nah,” he assures. “I mean, for starters, he’s not the only one interested, and well… I guess I’d have to let him explain. I don’t want to make it sound like you’re just the flavor of the week or anything.” He realizes something and glances at the door. “…So, um, the big guy with you, Gladio, right?”

Ignis lifts an eyebrow in surprise, but nods carefully. “Yes, did he…introduce himself?”

Prompto shakes his head. “I went to one of your first art shows,” he admits after a moment. “…I kind of recognize him.” He bites his lip. “Are you two finally dating?”

Ignis nearly chokes on his breath and his cheeks warm with a sudden blush.  “What do you mean, _finally_?” he asks before a door slams somewhere in the house and Prompto jumps off the bed, startled.

“What was that?” Ignis asks, embarrassment forgotten in lieu of learning the source of the noise.

“Cor had to take Noctis and Gladio to the police station,” Prompto explains, “it sounds like they’re back and it probably didn’t go well….”

 

Sure enough, Noctis blows in like a bad storm while Gladio hovers in the doorway. Ignis meets his gaze and is surprised when Gladio reaches to shut the door with him on the other side. They need to have another talk, but he wonders if Gladio is giving him just a little more time with the prince.

Noctis is fuming, face red, hands balled into fists as he paces the room. “He fucking _paid_ them,” he’s gritting out. “Used his stupid magic to disguise himself, get my itineraries , and then _paid_ people to come after me. And now they _can’t fucking find him_.”

Ignis frowns when he realizes Noctis is talking about Ardyn, but he doesn’t know what to say. From the look on Prompto’s face, neither does he, but he watches the prince storm for a moment longer before he reaches for his shoulder to stop him. Noctis visibly sags at the touch but lets Prompto guide him to the bed, where they sit beside Ignis.

The blond takes the prince into his arms, whispering soft words of assurance in the other’s ear while Noctis finds one of Ignis’s hands and grips it. They sit that way for a long moment, and there’s something incredibly touching about watching the way Prompto soothes Noctis with those soft whispers. He’s such a bubbly, high-strung individual, that there’s something endearing about seeing this side of him. Like a special sneak peek that Ignis is privileged to see.

Noctis relaxes after a few moments, leaning in to nuzzle his face against Prompto’s neck before kissing it in appreciation. Prompto shivers at the kiss, but doesn’t move away and glances at Ignis like he wants the artist to watch.

And Ignis does.

But he can only watch for a moment before everything comes rushing back as a reminder of how he wound up here in the first place. He’s in a stranger’s bed, prince or not, with a head injury and a busted up beach house. He’s sick, he’s not taking care of himself, and he’s running towards danger and inviting more problems instead of solving any of them.

Granted, Gladio was trying to help, but Ignis endangered him too.

“Iggy?” Noctis asks, pulling away from Prompto when he realizes Ignis isn’t watching anymore. “…You okay?”

Ignis can’t be honest with himself, much less the prince of Lucis, and he looks up with a soft smile. “Of course, darling,” he lies.

“Anything we can do?” Prompto asks, not buying the artist’s reply as he shifts closer.

And like an addict needing his fix, Ignis looks back at Noctis, who’s his drug and they both know it.

Ignis was wrong - the illusion hadn't been shattered, maybe he wasn't ready to go home. One look from those blue sapphire eyes and Ignis is drawn back in like a fly to honey. And he doesn't know how to stop.

Smiling, Noctis looks back at Prompto , and together, they close in to help Ignis feel better.

 

* * *

 

It’s late and Ignis is staring up at the ceiling, guilt consuming him. Noctis is curled up at his side, sleeping, dead to the world, and Prompto is on his other side. They both snore softly and Ignis’s hand is buried in the prince’s hair, stroking softly, but he can’t sleep.

He’s tired, his head hurts, and he isn’t satisfied. Yet he can’t pull himself away. He's been sucked in so deep, he doesn’t know how to get out. And it’s not Gladio’s responsibility to save him, he has to save himself.

Gladio was a band-aid that tried to cover a wound that needed stitches.

And Noctis is the knife cutting him deeper.

He looks down at the prince, wondering how to end this, but he doesn’t want to. Can’t they just let this play out until…

Ignis scoffs quietly at the thought. Letting it play out was how they wound up here in the first place. He’s _got_ to do something but he can’t. It scares him that he doesn’t know how to stop, that he’s only spiraling deeper.

Why can’t Gladio be enough for him?

Noctis stirs at his side and looks up at him sleepily. “Hey…” he murmurs, curling closer with a nuzzle, leaning up to kiss Ignis and of course it turns deep.

Ignis can’t stop it. Gladio can't stop it.

He doesn’t know what can.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> should be wrapping things up soon.. <3 thanks for reading
> 
> \--
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/dragonbornette) | [tumblr](https://dragonbornette.tumblr.com/)  
> 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ignis can't break free.  
> one last romp on the beach.  
> and everything comes to a head.

It’s close to midnight when Ignis slips out of bed. He’s a little dizzy and at this point, he doesn’t know if he should blame the head injury, or whatever’s been wrong with him from the start. He carefully wobbles into the kitchen, finds alcohol, and pours himself a drink. It’s not the wisest choice to make given the painkillers and the large knot on the back of his head, but Ignis has been on a streak of bad decisions, what’s one more going to do?

Ignis quietly slides the back door open and settles into a chair on the deck with a sigh, closing his eye as he enjoys the breeze coming off the ocean. It finally doesn’t feel _hot_ , but warm, and comfortable. He sips his drink and tries, finally tries, to _relax_.

Two days have passed since the attack and things have been quiet. No sign of Ardyn, the stalkers, and there’s been no developments in the case. The king agreed to let Noctis stay in Galdin Quay, but any further incidents, and the discussion would be over. Noctis would have to return to Insomnia with no choice in the matter.

Ignis realizes how lost he feels, how much like he’s drowning in everything going on, and doesn’t know how to fix things.

He still doesn’t know if he can.

He’s at a crossroads, and although he knows which way to go, he keeps choosing the wrong path. He doesn’t want to be this self-destructive, but it’s like he can’t help it. He _wants_ Gladio – he’s only just now starting to realize how much – but he looks at the prince, he looks at Prompto, and he sees an escape. He sees a fix.

Ignis doesn’t know if he can even blame the traumatic experience of dating Ravus anymore. It used to be such an easy excuse, but it’s been so long since that happened. And Ignis still doesn’t feel like himself. At what point did it start becoming his fault, and not Ravus’s?

Galdin Quay had always been a place for Ignis to escape and relax, but the artist knows this was the first summer he really ran away from his problems. He wanted a distraction, and boy, did he find one. But now he’s so tangled up in this web, he doesn’t know how to get free; and a part of him, despite everything, doesn’t want to.

Ignis wonders, how much he could have avoided, if he’d just let Gladio past his walls sooner…

 

Taking a long sip of his drink, Ignis starts when a shadow shifts beside him and he looks up to see a worried Noctis.

“Oh, there you are,” the prince breathes in relief as he slides the door shut behind him and steps out onto the deck. He’s shirtless, but managed to find pajama pants and, Ignis suspects, they aren’t even his but Prompto’s. “Are you alright?”

Ignis notices the towel in the other’s hands, but opts not to comment on it as he looks out at the water. “I’m afraid I do not know,” he answers honestly as he sets his drink down.

Tilting his head, Noctis walks over to the chair and climbs over Ignis, straddling him as he sets the towel to the side. He keeps the position innocent enough as he takes the artist’s face into his hands. “Tell me?” he asks. “Is it me? This whole Ardyn thing?”

Ignis meets those blue eyes in the dark, torn between telling the prince to get off of him and letting him stay. He wants to fight this more than he can bring himself to. “Only a part,” he replies as he shifts to get comfortable under the prince’s weight and leans back in the chair. “…We have not talked about Gladio, and we need to.”

Noctis had followed Ignis when he leaned back, but pauses at those words. “We do?”

“Noctis, he…he is my _boyfriend_ ,” Ignis clarifies, eyebrows raised. “You realize that, do you not?”

A silence follows and for a moment, Ignis wonders if the prince plans to avoid the topic, but something seems to click in the younger man’s brain and he looks up in realization. “He’s the guy in your artwork!”

Blinking in surprise, Ignis tilts his head. “…I beg your pardon?”

“Prompto showed me some of your stuff after we first met!” Noctis exclaims before he clears his throat and calms down a littl4e. “That one of the bird is my favorite – with the warrior and the flowers. Prompto said it was based off a close friend of yours. Showed me a lot of the art where you could see his influence.”

Ignis nearly blushes at Prompto’s knowledge and thinks back to the conversation he’d had with the blond. “Y-yes,” he manages to stammer out with a nod, collecting himself. “That would be Gladio.”

Noctis’s hands find Ignis’s face again and stroke softly. “I understand,” he says. “…You really care for him, huh?” He pauses and then frowns as he retracts his hands. “And he…he was there when those girls…” He curses under his breath and hangs his head. “…I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t,” Ignis whispers, finding Noctis’s hands. “He doesn’t harbor any ill feelings towards you. As a matter of fact, he’s aware of what’s been going on between us…to a point.” He tries not to blush, but his cheeks feel warm. “That being said, I…I’m afraid that when this is all over here, our time…” He takes in a breath and lets it out slowly. “Our time together is over.”

Looking at their hands, the prince’s gaze slowly lifts to find Ignis’s. He looks sad, but there’s a smile on his lips. “I think you’re in good hands,” he says with a nod. “He’s bigger than Nyx and Cor combined!” He laughs, almost to himself as Ignis offers a smile, before he pulls back from the artist. “…Do you think he’d mind if we stayed in touch?”

Ignis chuckles and shakes his head. “I don’t see why not,” he answers, “you can ask him in the morning.” He gives Noctis’s hands a squeeze. “But I don’t see any reason why we can’t remain friends after everything that’s happened here?”

Noctis looks relieved to hear those words and moves to stand, offering his hands to Ignis after grabbing the towel. “Come on,” he urges, helping the taller man to his feet and leading him towards the beach.

“Wait a minute, Noct,” Ignis protests. “Are you sure this is safe?” His world is spinning, but he has no idea what’s causing it.

 

“Pft,” the prince dismisses. “It’s the middle of the night, Iggy. We’re _fine_.”

Ignis can only watch as he stumbles behind Noctis out onto the sand, trying to steady the world around him as the prince puts down the towel and pats it invitingly. Reluctantly, Ignis joins him and the younger man crawls atop him like it’s the most natural thing in the world. The beach is dark and empty, save for the moonlight and the occasional beach house with it’s porchlight lit.

Ignis knows they’re alone, but starts to think if someone is watching, he…isn’t sure he cares right now.

“Let me have you one last time.”

The whispered words surprise Ignis as lips affix themselves to his own and he finds Noctis’s gaze once more in the moonlight. Once again, he can’t say no and the worry returns that even if this all ends, even if they’re safe from the threat, that Noctis might not ever let him go. He’s the prince, can Ignis even deny him?

A part of Ignis knows he’s being dramatic, yet he knows there’s some hint of truth in there.

Noctis kisses him again and it’s deeper now. Lips part, tongues meet, and Ignis tugs the prince closer before he can help himself, hands running along his exposed chest. He needs this, needs to get this out of his system, but he knows – he’s still trying to escape.

He should stop, but he doesn’t.

Still locked in a kiss, Ignis slips one hand into those dark locks, the other cradling the prince’s face. Noctis is shifting closer, pressing their hips together, grinding like the little devil his is as he moans and drags his nails over Ignis’s clothed chest.

The dream Ignis had all those nights ago suddenly flashes in the artist’s mind, and he almost laughs. But now their clothes are coming off, Noctis has a condom and lube and Ignis has _no_ idea where they came from, but he isn’t allowed to think it too long as a lubed finger slides against his ass and inside of him. He gasps into the kiss and bites Noctis’s lip – accidentally – but the prince seems to like it.

Guiding Ignis back down onto the towel, Noctis kisses his way down the artist’s body, wasting no time in getting what he wants as he draws back his finger and pushes it in deeper. Ignis bites back a moan, knowing it doesn’t matter how loud he is with the ocean to drown him out, but he’s still worried about being heard as one finger becomes two. Noctis is still kissing down his body, pressing his lips to Ignis’s inner thigh and then up the older man’s cock, taking it in his mouth as he thrusts his fingers in.

Arching, Ignis can’t help the raspy moan that escapes him, a hand finding Noctis’s hair and gripping like he needs to be anchored to the earth somehow. He’s forgetting everything – where they are, who this is between his legs, the whole dangerous situation they’ve found themselves in. His world is that mouth around his cock, tasting him, pleasuring him as those fingers ready him. It’s so overwhelmingly _good_ that Ignis worries he won’t last.

Pleasure rolls over him in waves and Ignis is trembling as he shakes his head, fighting it. “Noc… _Noctis,_ ” he begs, hips jerking up into that mouth as words fail him.

Sensing Ignis’s plight, tasting that precum, Noctis draws back and off, eyes dark as he licks his lips and pulls his fingers – now three – free. He grabs the condom and starts preparing himself, as Ignis watches, useless, wanting to help but from the look on the prince’s face, Noctis is more than happy to put on a show.

Once he’s ready, condom and all, he crawls over Ignis, gets situated, and pushes in. This time, Ignis doesn’t hold back his moan and arches under the prince until the younger man bottoms out. They’re kissing, Ignis feels like he’s on fire, Noctis moves, and the world spins.

They hold each other’s gazes as Noctis moves, and he fucks better than the artist expects. Ignis wants to speak, but his brain has forgotten words – all he can do is move with Noctis as each thrust gains momentum and power. He wants to watch every minute, but one well-aimed thrust his prostate _just_ right and his vision goes white as he spews curses of pleasure, arching hard. His world won’t stop spinning, he feels drunk, and he has to close his eyes before the spinning takes the pleasure of sex away.

His body is a mass of tingling nerves and pleasure and Ignis lets it consume him, lost to it. He’s gripping the prince hard, nails digging into Noctis’s back, clawing for more, _begging_ to be ruined. He hears Noctis growl and it surprises him, he doesn’t expect the prince to bend down to his neck and _bite_ him _._ They move together, like this was destined to be, and Ignis knows he’s about to come.

Yet, suddenly, Ignis thinks of Gladio and nearly screams the other man’s name as Noctis strikes that spot inside of him dead-on once more. Ignis suspects Noctis would understand, but he knows neither of them want to break this fantasy, neither of them want it to end.

Turning his head, Ignis devours the prince in a kiss as they move, and he’s close, _so_ close. Noctis has more stamina than he gave the prince credit for and when another thrust hits him just right, the dam holding Ignis back breaks. He comes hard with a throaty _scream_ of Noctis’s name, throwing his head back – which hurts like _hell_ – as he holds on for dear life, painting their stomach with his release.

Noctis’s thrusts turn erratic as that tightness consumes him, chasing his release before he’s coming and Ignis would’ve given _anything_ to be filled instead of that condom.

It takes several minutes for them to come back down to Eos and Ignis is kissing Noctis, stroking his face as the prince pulls out of him. His world is still spinning, and he can’t focus – he has to close his eyes as Noctis wipes them off with the towel, dresses them, then collapses beside Ignis.

“…If things don’t work out with Gladio,” the prince whispers. “…You always have a place with me.”

And Ignis smiles, manages a nod, thinks things are going to be okay, and together, they doze on the beach.

 

* * *

 

 

When Ignis opens his eyes, he can tell it’s early dawn. But to his surprise, the sky is overcast and the air feels tense with the approach of an oncoming storm. He feels a pit of anxiety in his stomach, one that he doesn’t understand, but he _knows_ that something isn’t right. Ignis glances to Noctis still sleeping beside him, unaware of Ignis’s discomfort, and once again the artist pulls himself away to sit up and look around. His vision still swims, but it’s not nearly as bad as it was before. He blinks away the dizzy as best he can before faint laughter reaches his ears and he stiffens.

Despite how faint it is, Noctis jerks awake and flies upright as his eyes dart around, fear in them. “Ardyn…”

They share a glance before they get to their feet and turn back to the house, but Ignis’s world is thrown back into a spin and he stumbles, falling onto the sand. Noctis immediately turns back to help him, tugging him desperately back to the beach house, shouting for Nyx and Cor, but they’re only halfway back when the air shimmers in front of them and a shape takes form.

“ _Shit_ ,” Noctis hisses, “no!” He shoves Ignis behind him protectively, and the artist stumbles back in confusion.

“Noctis, what are you—”

“—Stay back, Iggy,” Noctis snaps back in a tone that surprises the artist, but the prince looks back for a split-second. “I’ve got this.” He turns back to Ardyn, straightening his posture. “What the _fuck_ do you want, Ardyn?”

“Just to _play_ ,” the disheveled man drawls innocently in reply, but his lips curl into a devious grin and he’s laughing again.

“Are you _kidding_ me?” Noctis exclaims in disbelief, shooting Ignis a concerned glance. “What is _wrong_ with you?”

“ _Silence_ ,” Ardyn commands and for a second his eyes flare red as he looks to Ignis as well. “I had this all planned out, you see. It was quite simple, really. Let my little stalkers bother you so much in Insomnia that you were forced to flee here, to my wondrous Galdin Quay. Scare you a bit more with an attack or two on the beach, so that I could personally oversee your security and do what your pitiful Crownsguard failed to.” His lips curl into a sneer. “And the real fun would begin, but we never got that far did we? Your ridiculous bodyguards did better than I gave them credit for, insisted _they_ could handle things despite my best efforts, and then…” His gaze shifts once more to Ignis. “ _This_ one came into play and ruined _everything_.”

And suddenly it clicks, that Ardyn has lost his grip on reality. That something snapped and he’s more unstable than anyone realized.

When he starts to approach, Noctis doesn’t move from his place in front of Ignis, backing up with the other man as Ardyn continues his advance. “None of that makes _sense_ ,” he hisses. “What is the fucking point?”

Ardyn scoffs and shakes his head, bringing a hand to his chest as he gazes at his nephew in a rather mocking way. “Why, to get to _you_ , dear boy,” he sneers. “This was _all_ to get to you. But even though your sweet little Ignis here ruined so much, here you are on the beach with no one to protect you now.” His chuckle is insidious as a swirl of red suddenly surrounds him, and a sword is in those dirty hands, clasped tightly.

Ignis gasps in alarm and falls back, but to his surprise, Noctis and Ardyn don’t really seem to be paying him much attention. But he can’t focus, he can’t stop his world from spinning, it’s like there’s a roar in his ears and he feels the sand beneath him.

Ardyn closes in on Noctis like this was his plan all along, but then a swirl of blue surrounds the prince and a sword is now in the younger man’s hands. Even Ignis can recognize the Power of Kings for what it is despite his difficulties in concentrating.

“Stay back,” Noctis demands, stepping back, closer to Ignis.

His response is a smirk and another laugh from the crazed man before him, starting in surprise when Ardyn vanishes from sight and lifts his sword over Ignis. “Back here?” He taunts, all sanity gone from those yellow eyes as Noctis whirls around and cries out in protest at Ignis helpless on the ground beneath Ardyn. “My _pleasure_.”

Laugh turned maniacal, Ardyn swings his sword down before a gunshot rings out and everything comes to a screeching halt. Ignis can’t breathe, heart pounding in his chest, which hurts, but no one is looking at him. He struggles to find what they’re looking at and spots Prompto on the deck of the beach house, gun in hand, leveled at Ardyn as smoke drifts from the barrel.

Cor, Nyx, and Gladio appear from within the house instantly, and the attention shifts to Ardyn, whose sword has vanished from his hand, which he presses to his chest, stunned. There’s blood seeping between his fingers and he staggers back with all eyes on him, but Nyx and Cor are moving to intercept.

“Well,” Ardyn wheezes and there’s blood on his lips now. “…I did not plan for _this_.”

It’s only when he collapses to the sand that Noctis and the others realize Ignis is struggling on the ground. Both the prince and Gladio are at his side in seconds, but Ignis can’t move, can’t speak, can’t breath – his vision goes white, the roar becomes deafening and drowns out both Gladio’s and Noctis’s screams before everything fades.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize to those of you actually interested in this fic <3 It's been a while and I know, but it was a mixture of still feeling uninspired and then getting constantly drowned in new wonderful ideas for more fics that appealed to me <3 but I feel a lot better about this fic than I did before and I'm grateful to anyone who still takes the time to read and comment on this one. Thanks so much :)
> 
>  ~
> 
> [ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/dragonbornette) | [twitter](https://twitter.com/dragonbornette) | [tumblr](https://dragonbornette.tumblr.com/)  
> 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ignis wakes up.  
> ignis goes home.  
> gladio makes a decision.

When he comes to, he feels like he’s swimming in a haze of confusion. He can barely open his eyes like there are weights tied to his lids somehow. His senses come back to him one at a time – first, it was touch, he could feel how much he hurt, how tired he felt, but he could feel a hand in his own. He had the sense to squeeze it and managed to move his head just as his hearing decided to reboot.

The sound of a heart monitor reached his ears next as the hand in his squeezed, hard. He let out a soft strained moan, just as muffled words reached his ears:

“Iggy? Iggy, please wake up.”

“I  _am_  awake…” Ignis scoffs, slurred, his voice not sounding quite like his own.

“…Is that how you talk to people?”

Ignis, eyes still closed, manages a smile. “…I do when I know it’s you, Gladio,” he whispers, forcing his eyes open just in time to see Gladio’s blurry face crack a worried smile.

The big guy leans in close and presses a kiss to Ignis’s, lingering before he draws back but stays close enough so that Ignis can look into his amber eyes. He sees the worry in them, knows Gladio – who doesn’t cry – has, in fact, been crying. Regret consumes him faster than he can stop it, and although his arms feel like dead weight, he lifts his hands to touch the other man’s face.

“I am so sorry,” he breathes, his voice coming out a little stronger now, less slurred. He realizes with a frown, that he’s been medicated and things start to fall into place. “…What happened?”

Gladio turns to reach for something, which turns out to be Ignis’s glasses and helps the artist put them on before he drags his chair even closer to the bed and sits back down. Never once does he let go of Ignis’s hand and that doesn’t go unnoticed.

 

“…What do you remember?”

Ignis manages a shake of his head. “I…I’m not talking about that,” he replies. “What happened to  _me_?”

Gladio hesitates to reply, letting out a breath as he lowers his head for a moment. “You had a full-blown panic attack, Iggy,” he explains as cautiously as he can as Ignis’s eyes narrow in confusion. “…The dizzy spells, the chest pains, what happened on the beach… The docs say panic attacks explain everythin’ and knowin’ what you’ve been through since Ravus and the stress of not being able to paint anymore, coupled with what’s been happenin’ here…” The big guy shrugs. “…Your blood pressure was so _high_ , they…medicated you, Iggy.”

There’s a  _slight_  tremor to his voice, it’s enough to swallow Ignis in guilt. He closes his eyes and tries to sink into the bed as far as he can. It all makes sense now, and he hates himself for not doing something about this sooner. Despite being medicated, he feels like death and he can’t wrap his mind around what he’s put Gladio through. He’s been so reckless running from his problems, he’d stopped thinking about what it would do to the people chasing after him.

“I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t,” Gladio protests, lifting his head sharply to look at Ignis. “Don’t apologize. I should’ve done somethin’ sooner. I shouldn’t have encouraged this thing with the prince knowin’ you were sick. I bear my own responsibilities in this, I was so worried about pushin’ you away with my feelings that I stopped bein’ a good friend.”

Ignis squeezes the other man’s hand and fights the tears in his eyes. He doesn’t want to cry for multiple reasons, but mostly because he feels so  _tired_. He doesn’t want to waste the energy. “I suppose we both dropped the ball,” he says softly. “I would like to hope it isn’t too late for us to try harder?”

A small smile forms on Gladio’s lips and the big guy lifts himself up from the chair once more to lean in and kiss Ignis again. “You aren’t gonna have another panic attack ever again if I have anythin’ to say about it,” he murmurs and despite knowing that isn’t how it works, Ignis feels his chest grow warm at those words.

Returning the kiss, Ignis wraps his free hand around Gladio’s neck and holds the other man close. He knows now, more than anything, that this was what had been meant for him all this time. The way he feels safe right now speaks volumes about how he’s felt the past few days, rather, the past few months, and back all the way to Ravus.

It’s his own fault, but Ignis has to forgive him. He has to recognize his mistakes, learn from them, and move  _on_.

They linger for a few moments before Gladio pulls back and Ignis looks up at him as he lets go. “…So, what happened after I lost consciousness?” he braves to ask, not sure he’s ready to know, but unable to stop himself from inquiring. “Is he dead?”

“Uh…” Gladio rubs the back of his neck with his other hand, avoiding Ignis’s gaze. “…They phoenix down’d the fucker.”

Ignis blinks in surprise, feeling anger well inside of him before he fights to calm down and let Gladio finish explaining. There has to be a reason.

“There were too many loose ends,” Gladio explains, “but as an unhinged direct threat to you and the prince, he had to be neutralized. Turns out, Prompto is a Crownsguard too.” A wry smile on his face as Ignis blinks again. “Kind of an undercover thing. The concept of this stalker incident bein’ an inside job occurred to them a while back, so they’d been trainin’ the kid in secret so whoever was targeting the prince wouldn’t see him as a threat.” He shrugs. “Another thing Ardyn didn’t plan for.”

Prompto? A Crownsguard? Ignis’s world is spinning but for once, it’s in his head.

“They silenced Ardyn, so he can’t use his magic or access the power of kings,” Gladio continues after a moment, letting Ignis catch up mentally, “but they needed to question him. Prompto was…a little  _too_ good a shot.” He huffs a soft laugh and shakes his head. “From what I’ve been told, it turns out, Ardyn just…snapped a few months ago. Had some kind of meltdown about not inheritin’ the throne and felt some sort of need to take out his nephew in order to be king one day. Apparently, there’s a little more they’re not tellin’ me but I guess they felt obligated to tell me somethin’ because you’re involved.”

Ignis finds the remote for his bed and presses the button to lift the end so he can sit up. He’s still trying to wrap his mind around everything, but a part of him is angry Ardyn is alive while another part of him worries over the parallels. Was he one meltdown away from turning into someone like Ardyn?

He knows it’s probably something he should give more thought to once he’s back at home.

“…And Noct?” Ignis asks hesitantly. “How is he?”

“Flippin’ his shit over you,” Gladio mutters and he doesn’t hide the anger in his voice. “I’m sorry, Iggy, I let him see you once, with Prompto, but once they had to go, I told them not to come back. Well, I told the prince not to. I know Prompto had less of a hand in this and he _did_ save you. I…we owe that kid a lot. And I got to talk to him a bit back at the house before. The things he knows about you, Iggs…”

Ignis feels his cheeks warm. “He seemed happy to learn we were finally together,” he informs in a soft whisper that makes Gladio laugh, but he thinks about what Gladio tells him, about what it means to have Noctis out of his life, to not be able to say goodbye. And a part of him wonders - though he knows embarrassingly little about Lucian law - if he’ll be needed for anything regarding the investigation into Ardyn’s actions and his own involvement with the crazed man.

It’s another few minutes of processing that Ignis realizes it’s finally  _over_  – the stalking, the insanity, the danger. Gladio’s involvement was clearly what he needed this whole time and although a part of that frustrates Ignis, that he wasn’t strong enough to do it on his own, it doesn’t make him any less grateful that he had someone who cared enough to be there.

And he knows he took it for granted. He knows that he nearly came close to losing Gladio, came close to losing everything.

He doesn’t plan on doing that again.

 

* * *

 

Leaving the hospital is the worst part of the whole experience, and one Ignis plans to never go through again if he can help it. The conversation with the doctor was humiliating enough without everything else to go with it. He doesn’t want to take the medicine prescribed, doesn’t want to ‘take it easy’, doesn’t really want to do anything that will remind him of this whole experience, but when he leaves with Gladio, he looks up at the other man and knows it’s going to be okay.

 

They return back to the beach house, well, Noctis’s beach house, only to find it empty. It hits Ignis a little harder than he expects, to walk through the house and find no one there, and when he reaches the back door and stares at the sand where it all went down, his chest tightens and his breath quickens.

But then there’s a presence him and Gladio turns Ignis away from the sight, holding him tight. “Calm down, Iggy,” he whispers, rubbing his back. “It’s over. Let’s get your things, okay?”

They take everything they left at the beach house, make one stop at Ignis’s house to make sure nothing was being left there either, and although Ignis stays in the car, Gladio takes the ruined painting the girls destroyed, rolls it up, and tucks it away before he heads back out.

The car takes them to the train station and Ignis takes one last look at Galdin Quay before he follows Gladio inside.

He doesn’t plan on coming back.

 

* * *

 

At first, returning home is hard. Ignis doesn’t really want to pretend like nothing happened, but he’s back home, inexplicably in the middle of the summer when he should be on vacation, and the last thing he wants, is for rumors to start up. A part of him is surprised the residents near to Cape Caem didn’t already know.

He realizes, as they pull up to his house, that what happened in Galdin Quay may be over, but he’s still dealing with it. And he’s going to be for some time.

 

 

Gladio helps him bring his things inside, doing most of the work since Ignis still isn’t back to one-hundred percent. Once they’re finished, Gladio kisses him goodbye, but Ignis stops him and begs him to stay.

He doesn’t want to be alone.

“Allow me to cook you something?” Ignis insists softly, but Gladio scoffs and shakes his head.

“I’m orderin’ pizza,” he corrects softly. “We’re gonna watch some TV, eat pizza, drink wine, and do some actual fuckin’ relaxin’.”

Ignis smiles into Gladio’s shoulder and nods. “Thank you,” he whispers before pulling back and kissing the big guy again. “I’m going to go change.”

Nodding, Gladio pulls out his phone to order said pizza but stops and looks up. “Hey, Iggy?” He waits for the other man to turn back before saying anything more. “…You don’t have to offer me food, y’know. I would’ve stayed just to stay.”

Ignis realizes he’s still got work to do when it comes to Gladio, but those words melt straight through him. He quickly closes the distance between them and kisses Gladio, arms around the larger man as it deepens. He ignores the doctor’s warnings to take things easy, he wants Gladio to fuck him better.

Is that even possible? Surely, it is.

“I love you,” he whispers between kisses.

 

It’s another hour before Gladio orders the pizza.

 

* * *

 

Later that night, Gladio wakes to an empty bed. He frowns, squirms a bit as he comes to and sits up, glancing around in confusion. There’s no one in the bathroom, and he frowns as he finds his briefs and pulls them on before venturing out into the house to find Ignis.

The lights in the living room are off, so he turns the other way down the hall to the room with the light on under the door and he stops when he realizes where Ignis is – his home studio. It didn’t house much, it was nothing compared to his work studio, but Gladio hadn’t seen Ignis use it in a very long time. And maybe he shouldn’t get his hopes up now. Maybe Ignis was in there sitting and staring at old paintings because he didn’t think he could do it anymore, but the soft sound of music reaches Gladio’s ears.

And he knows.

Carefully, he approaches the door and twists the knob as gently as he can, pushing it open and thanking the gods it doesn’t creak as he does. He peers inside and finds Ignis, bare-ass naked, painting in front of a large canvas. He’s humming along the soft music playing as he works, taking his time with the colors he’s already managed to add to the blank backdrop, stepping back every now and then to look it over.

Gladio just smiles and watches for as long as he can, not wanting to interrupt, but happier than he can even think to be just by watching. He’d known Ignis has started painting back in Galdin Quay with the help of the prince’s intervention, but he’d worried the events following may have ruined that creative streak.

And Gladio starts to wonder if pushing the prince out of Ignis’s life was the best thing for the artist. The stalking thing aside, they had really liked each other, and maybe it hadn’t been Gladio’s place to make that decision.

But at the same time, he doesn’t want someone who’s possibly that unstable in Ignis’s life threatening things again. Ignis had a ways to go before he could properly process something that traumatizing again. He’d nearly died, been killed by a crazy man.

Gladio wonders if Noctis realizes that.

 

When Ignis suddenly seems to notice he’s no longer alone, Gladio wonders if he’d made a noise, and can only blush when he’s discovered. He’d been so distracted by his thoughts, he’d forgotten Ignis was naked.

“Gladio?” the artist inquires softly. “Was I making too much noise?”

“I woke up to an empty bed, Iggy,” Gladio replies. “Was worried, but…I’m really happy to see why.”

"...I wish I could explain it," Ignis says as he looks back at the painting. "...I just woke up and, it was in my head. My heart. Just like it used to be. Like someone pulled back a curtain and gave me access back."

Ignis sets down his palette, turning to face Gladio but the big guy clears his throat and glances away. He's not used to seeing Ignis naked so openly around him.

“Uh, wanna put on some clothes?”

“This is _my_ house, Gladio, I will wear what I please,” Ignis reminds as he walks over to the slightly taller man and kisses him softly. “…Can it be yours, too?”

Gladio pulls back in surprise, blinking as he meets Ignis’s gaze. He sees the apprehension and nerves in the other man’s eyes, but he’s so stunned by the question, he almost forgets to answer. He smiles and kisses Ignis again, holding that naked body against his own as he nods. “I’d love that, Iggs.”

 

 

They kiss, then they make love on the counter. It’s the closest thing Ignis can get to taking back his studio from the memory of Ravus and it’s exactly what he needs. He’s exhausted once they’re through, but insists on telling Gladio about the painting before he’s carted off to bed by the big guy.

 

Gladio moves in the next day.

 

 

But although Galdin Quay is behind them, it still fights to leave his memories. Ignis still has nights where he wakes up from nightmares, still has times where he’s too afraid to be alone, jumps at shadows, and has small panic attacks. But each day gets easier.

One at a time.

He finishes one painting, and then another, and then another. Each one is a blend of a character Gladio recognizes as himself and knows that the new one shining through, is Noctis. At first, he’s jealous, but it fades. He knows despite what went down, he should be grateful to the prince.

Ignis announces a new art show after a two-year hiatus and his fanbase practically explodes with revival. It does wonders for his confidence and Gladio is happy to stand by and watch, but a thought occurs to him one night.

He takes Ignis’s phone and goes into the living room once the other man has fallen asleep. He’s not snooping, but he is looking for something and is relieved to find Cor’s number is still programmed into the device. He calls the number and despite the late hour, the other man answers, surprise in his greeting, which is strange for Gladio to hear since the bodyguard had been so stoic in person.

 

“Cor?” he asks. “This is Gladio, Ignis’s friend? I, uh, I have a bit of a favor to ask.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank y'all for all your support on this one. I appreciate it so much. I wanted to wrap this one up before I started giving my current WIPs so much attention. I hope this chapter isn't a letdown.
> 
> FYI, I do have a Ko-Fi now. Please consider supporting me <3 Any help is appreciated.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ignis has his first gallery showing in years.  
> a few unexpected guests show up.  
> along with an offer he can't refuse.

Nervously wringing his hands, Ignis glances up when the door opens and Gladio steps through. One look has the big guy walking over, and Ignis tries to stop fidgeting even when those large hands grip his own.

“You got your medicine?”

A nod.

“You’ve got me, too. It’s gonna be awesome, Iggy. There’s a really good crowd waiting out there.”

Ignis closes his eyes and tries not to let that bother him. He tries to remember the days when this sort of event excited him and fueled his confidence, but for some reason, the thought of all those people out there terrifies him. He isn’t sure why. Ardyn had been one person, not a crowd. And Ignis doesn’t think it’s because he’d been briefly stalked.

Is it?

“Iggy?”

“I’m fine,” Ignis huffs, but even he doesn’t believe himself.

“You don’t have to do this, you know.”

“And deal with how it’ll look to send all those people home?” the artist leans into Gladio and shakes his head. “No, I must do this. I just… I need a minute.” He tries to let the arms enfolding around him and the hand now rubbing his back calm him down. He doesn’t want to take the medicine, he doesn’t want to let this anxiety consume him.

He wants those days to be over and he hates that they’re not, even with Gladio.

 

They stand there for a few moments, simply holding each other until Ignis pulls back and glances at his watch. He has a few more minutes he can waste by trying to pull himself together, or he can go ahead and get this all over with. He nods and looks up at Gladio, who’s watching him patiently, and a smile slowly settles on his face.

He realizes he’s being foolish and leans in, kissing the bigger man gently in gratitude. “Forgive me,” he whispers, nuzzling that tanned scarred face.

“Nothin’ to forgive,” Gladio rumbles back, sliding his hands up Ignis’s back one more time. “You ready?”

Ignis nods and steps back, taking one of Gladio’s hands in his as he walks to the door and lets the other man open it. He flashes a soft quick smile and leads the way down the hall out into the gallery where his works hang, all of them covered with white cloth. He’s still worried about their reaction, still worried there isn’t enough variety, not enough growth, or maybe that he’s even regressed in talent back to earlier days.

But as if on cue, a squeeze from Gladio’s hand has him glancing at the other man and he smiles again, coming back to his senses and off the precipice of doubt. He trusts Gladio, trusts his judgment, and he has to believe in himself again.

 

Taking his place before the crowd, which quiets at his arrival, Ignis takes a moment to adjust to the photographers and the idea of being in the limelight again. He has to remember and acknowledge the idea of losing his privacy to the fame that came with his talent, but another glance at Gladio and he knows he can do it.

Gladio is not Ravus.

Ravus could never come close to being what Gladio is.

 

After a brief speech acknowledging his hiatus, Ignis thanks everyone for coming to tonight’s reveal. He keeps details vague but sincere, not wanting to dismiss the break as nothing, but not wanting to invite a bunch of strangers into the complicated situation they weren’t exactly privy to. He feels his resolve grow stronger with each passing minute he manages to talk to them, taking a moment to personally thank Gladio, a dear fan named Prompto, and another unnamed individual. He would love to mention the prince by name but doesn’t want to open that can of worms. Especially without insinuating what happened between them.

 

“And with that, ladies and gentlemen, I invite you to view my new collection,” Ignis announces and lifts a hand to signal his assistants.

With a flurry of rustling cloth, Ignis’s works are revealed and a chorus of gasps and murmurs of appreciation flutter throughout the room. Ignis feels his cheeks warm and relief flood him, and Gladio’s presence at his side reassures him even further that this was the right thing to do.

“Time to mingle,” the artist says after a moment, heart pounding at the prospect but he knows it’ll be alright.

“Want me to join?”

Ignis looks at Gladio, smiling and nodding. “I wouldn’t have you anywhere else.”

“That’s not what you said last night.”

A deep blush colors Ignis’s cheeks as he clears his throat and tries not to grin, but the comment puts him at ease and gives him something to think about. “Are you sure you won’t mind the pictures that are bound to wind up on the internet?”

“Iggy,” Gladio says, waiting for the other man to look at him. “I’m half-naked and clearly identifiable in half of these paintings, I think I can handle the art paparazzi.”

Blushing again, Ignis nods and guides Gladio through the process, something the taller man isn’t completely unfamiliar with, but something about letting Ignis take the lead seems to calm the artist in a way he isn’t realizing. He’s controlling the chaos and it’s helping.

Once the photographers are pacified and Ignis consents to a couple of small interviews, the artist leads Gladio over to one of the paintings. It’s secretly his favorite, reminiscent of the one he’d started in the beach house – the one that had been destroyed – only this time, he’d painted it without Noctis. Gladio’s golden form with the bird taking off from his back in a sea of dark flowers is all that remains of the original piece.

Noctis is still present in some of the other paintings, but this one… This one is for Gladio alone.

“I say,” a rail-thin voice sneers from behind, “what a tremendous leap backward in talent.”

Ignis stiffens, knowing the source of the voice without having to turn around. Even Gladio’s tense beside him as they turn around to face Ravus.

Sure enough, he stands tall and indignant in all his ivory glory, well-dressed for the occasion despite his malicious comment. He stands, cross-armed, regarding the painting of Gladio with clear disdain, chin lifted and nose upturned.

“I’ve ruined better paintings than this.”

Ignis seethes at the comment, unable to hide it, unable to let those words strike his exposed nerves. His heart races, pounds, and he’s just  _waiting_  for the camera to find them. His mouth feels like cotton, and he’s unable to say anything in return, and apparently, neither is Gladio.

“ _That’s_  Ravus?” another familiar voice exclaims and all eyes go to the two shorter figures joining them and Ignis heart leaps when he realizes it’s Noctis and Prompto. “Shit, Iggy, you did him a  _real_  favor in your paintings.”

Prompto snickers beside him, eyeing Ravus as he covers his mouth and even Ignis has to smile as the white-haired man turns a deep shade of red.

“Your muse must’ve used him out of pity!”

Prompto can’t hold back his laughter any longer and bursts out with a cackle, which is all the excuse Ravus needs to advance on the prince with a scowl and a raised hand. Immediately, the blond sobers and is in front of Noctis, puffing up as he sticks out a hand and summons his weapon from the Armiger into his other.

“You threatening the prince there, buddy?”

Ravus steps back, shock settling into his face as he glances from Prompto the prince and then back. The realization on the other man’s face has the blond smirking as he steps forward and gently pushes Ravus back.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” The gun vanishes from his hand and he levels his gaze. “Get out of here. You’re not welcome.”

Face twisting in a scowl, Ravus shoots back a venomous look at Ignis but knows he’s been defeated and turns on his heel. He leaves in a huff and both Ignis and Gladio look at the blond with surprised but grateful expressions.

“Well,” Gladio says, “guess I didn’t have to kick his ass after all.”

Ignis lets out a relieved laugh, but his eyes fall on Noctis, who looks apprehensive and nervous in his royal tunic now that Ravus is gone. Yet, Ignis is surprised that the prince is even here. He looks at Gladio, expecting anger or agitation since he was the one to make sure Noctis knew to stay away, but he doesn’t expect Gladio’s expression to be understanding.

“It was wrong of me to make that decision for you,” the big guy admits, “to forbid him from bein’ in your life. I stand by the one that kept him away while you recovered, though.” He bites his lip, something he rarely does, but nods. “Go to him, Iggy. Do what you need to do. I’ll, uh… I’ll be here.”

A wave of gratitude crashes over Ignis as he brings Gladio down into a kiss, stroking his face as they pull away. “I want him in my life, Gladio,” he says, watching disappointment reflect in those amber eyes, “but you’re the only one for me.”

A possessive relief overtakes Gladio’s expression as he kisses Ignis again – harder – before letting go, watching Ignis now with the confidence that the other man will come back to him, unharmed and intact. The artist closes the distance between himself and the prince, wrapping his arms around the younger man as they embrace.

“I’m sorry,” Noctis is whispering into Ignis’s chest, and there are tears in his eyes. “I’m so sorry. How can you even think to forgive me?”

“Because,” Ignis breathes back into the prince’s dark locks. “You did not make my decisions for me. I willingly obliged, I willingly put myself in harm’s way.” He pulls back and looks down into those watery blue eyes. “My only regret is that that was how our time together was meant to be. I wish it had been another way.”

Noctis wordlessly nods his agreement and they embrace again. Prompto watches with a smile and glances at Gladio, who smiles back before reaching to tug the blond close, ruffling his hair.

“Thanks again, kid,” he says as they watch Ignis and Noctis. “He wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.”

Prompto studies the prince and the artist a moment longer, shaking his head as he looks back up at Gladio. “And you,” he corrects, smiling more when Gladio looks at him in surprise. “You keep saying that it was me, but you realize he only met us a few months ago, right? Someone had to help him through all that time after Ravus tried to ruin his life.”

Gladio tries to smile, but it’s sad. “Some job I did,” he mutters. “He was sick, self-destructive, and look what almost happened.”

Prompto sighs and tilts his head as he looks up at Gladio. “Didn’t expect that kinda talk from you,” he says, eyebrows raised. “Dude, can you imagine what it would’ve been like for him without you?”

Gladio seems to consider those words and Prompto grins, clapping him on the shoulder. “There you go.”

“How’s he been?” Gladio asks after a moment, watching Ignis and Noctis talk by the painting, catching up on the time spent apart.

“Noct? He’s been a bit of a mess.” Prompto crosses his arms, uncomfortable. “He really didn’t realize what he’d done until it happened. And none of us thought to stop him, but none of us really seemed to know how bad it was until Ardyn showed up, snapped.” His gaze drops and he shrugs. “After we got back to Insomnia, after you’d banned him from seeing Ignis, it really seemed to hit home. I guess it was kind of the kick in the pants he needed, but he didn’t want to piss you off by trying to come around uninvited.”

Prompto looks up at Gladio, half-smiling. “The look on his face when Cor told us you called was…” He laughs. “It was great.”

Gladio returns the smile and nods. “I was angry,” he replies, “and maybe not all of it was unwarranted, but I do owe him an apology. No one gets to dictate who’s in Ignis’s life but Ignis.”

 

* * *

 

As the event draws to a close, Ignis knows he can call it a success. Amidst the pictures, fans, and relative response to his new works, the artist feels at home in a chaos he recognizes. He feels stable, he’s anchored by support from Gladio, and he relishes in the reunion with Noctis. It isn’t until most of the crowd clears out that Ignis spots the familiar faces of Nyx and Cor by the exit, patiently waiting on their prince.

“They came too?” Ignis questions Noctis in surprise. “I thought the danger had passed.”

Noctis laughs softly and rubs his arm awkwardly. “They actually came for you,” he admits, beckoning the Crownguards over with one hand. “All that crap with Ardyn kind of hid what you do for a living. Nyx thought you were nice, and Cor still feels bad about how you got mixed up in the mess. Even if he doesn’t know how much of that fault lies with me.”

Something about their presence puts Ignis even more at ease and he happily greets them when they come within range. Nyx seems more concerned about his well-being than he’d expected, but the other man had taken care of him after he’d fainted and, Ignis presumes, after he’d been struck in the head. He invites them all to his home, glancing at Gladio to make sure it’s okay, although he doesn’t expect there to be any issue.

“Your car got room for us?” the prince asks, glancing at Prompto as he takes the blond’s hand.

Gladio huffs out a laugh with a shake of his head. “Yeah, but no shenanigans in my backseat.” He looks to Cor and Nyx with a nod. “It isn’t far. Just follow me.”

 

The trip to Ignis’s home is short but not quiet. Noctis talks about his father’s place up here, but how this is the first time he’s visited in a while. Ignis is surprised to learn the king visits Cape Caem, but realizes shortly after that Noctis inadvertently spoiled a secret he wasn’t supposed to share.   

He decides not to comment on it as they arrive at his home, getting out of the car as both Noctis and Prompto pile out and admire the house in silence. It’s not small, but it’s quaint and somehow embodies Ignis more than they’d expected.

 

Cor and Nyx pull up a moment later and Ignis invites them inside and into the living room. He’s flustered as he tries to tidy up, which Gladio gently stops him from doing.

“Let’s get some wine, mm?” the big guy suggests, guiding Ignis into the kitchen with a smile.

Embarrassed, Ignis disappears with Gladio, returning a few moments later with a bottle of wine in one hand, a couple of glasses in the other, while Gladio carries the rest.

Cor and Nyx agree to a  _little_  bit of wine, while Noctis and Prompto try to act like they drink wine all the time and that it makes them cool. Ignis can’t help a soft snort as he pours them each a bit, saving the last for himself and Gladio.

“Well, Your Highness?” Nyx prompts from where he sits, earning a pointed look from the prince, but he doesn’t correct the title.

Ignis lifts an eyebrow, but before he can question what they’re talking about, Noctis carefully produces a folder from within his tunic. When he opens it, Ignis notices it’s his sketch of the prince from the beach and he looks up in surprise.

“Will you autograph it?” Noctis asks, almost like he’s embarrassed. “…I wanted to frame it back when we got home, but…didn’t feel right.”

Smiling, Ignis rises from the couch to find a pen, returning shortly and taking the drawing from the prince. He glances over it and thinks back to the beach before he signs the sketch ‘ _with love, to Noctis, from Ignis_ ’ and hands it back.

Noctis looks over the signature with a soft blush and glances back up at Ignis before he places the drawing back in the folder. “There’s something else.”

“Oh?” Ignis inquires as he sits back down on the couch next to Gladio and sips his wine.

“Yeah.” The prince nods and looks up at Ignis. “…Since your vacation was kind of ruined, thanks to me and the stalkers, my dad and I talked it over and we want to make it up to you. I have a car, that’ll fit the four of us, we could…” He bites his lip and takes a breath before letting it out. “We could go on a road trip, the four of us, take a real vacation and go wherever we want. Nyx and Cor could come if you really wanted them to, but with the threat of Ardyn gone, there’s no need for the security…”

He trails off, apprehensive. Like he already expects Ignis to turn him down.

“…F-for how long?”

Noctis looks up in surprise, fighting a smile because that wasn’t a ‘yes’. “…However long we want. I’m sure you’ve got obligations, Gladio too, but… I mean, I can pretty much go along with whatever you need.”

Ignis looks at Gladio, but he knows what the other man will say. Even if he wasn’t already going to agree with whatever Ignis decided, he’s a camping  _nut_. The artist looks back at Noctis, thinking to himself that seeing the sights will do wonder for his portfolio, as well as give him an excuse to draw the prince again. He worries that he’s agreeing too easily, but he can’t help the smile that comes to his lips.

“When do we leave?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who stuck around to see this one through to the end. I know it was a bit bumpy, but I'm proud of being able to bring it home with the help of a few new friends. I appreciate your support with this weird little AU. Please share it if you liked it and maybe I'll gain a few new readers. <3 I'm going to try and update Dreamweaver at least once before I go back to work on my most recent WIPs. I know a lot of people are anxious/eager to see To Lure a Chocobo play out, and I'm eager to get it to you. I just wanted to show some love to my older fics still in progress.

**Author's Note:**

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